My Education
A little twist...
The circumstances surrounding my return to college were certainly not how I had envisioned them. That said, initially, I was not sure that I would be able to stay in school long enough to complete my degree program. Since I had already dropped out of school three times already, I was hesitant to let anyone know that I was back in school for the fourth time. To put it simply, I didn't want to feel like the boy who cried wolf. Seeing as how my entire family, save my lovely wife, was 225 miles away, I opted not to tell them that I was back in school. I weighed the options and decided that if things worked out, and I was able to make it through school this time, I would tell them afterward.
Two weeks before graduation, I called everyone and asked them to come to town. When they asked what for, I told them that I had been part of something pretty cool, and that there was going to be some sort of event at which I would be presented with some sort of something. They had no clue what I was talking about, and I told them that I would not be divulging any further information about it. If they wanted to find out, they had to come. Otherwise, I would let them know what it was all about after the fact. Amazingly, whether they had prior plans or not, everyone was able to come.
Needless to say, everyone was quite shocked. Shocked not only that I was graduating from Ole Miss, but also that I had been able to keep it a secret for nearly four years. After the commencement, we all went and had lunch together. At that time, I spilled the beans (figuratively not literally) letting everyone know what all had transpired leading up to this event, and what plans I had for the near future. Everyone was proud of me, and everyone is glad that Barbara and I will be moving back home soon.