by Deon Lyons
Two weeks to go and here I am, typing away. I haven't been posting much this past month, and for those of you who take the time to come in and read what I have to say, I apologize. My mind has been a swirling torrent of distraction lately, and this time, I have an excuse.
I am supposed to get a new laptop tomorrow, along with a fresh copy of Office 2013 and some much-needed tutoring with the accessibility of these new items. I have two weeks to go before I embark on my new adventure on a college campus, and I can hardly believe what's happening.
Am I ready for this new chapter? I would like to think that I am, but the old me, the old ways of thinking pull me off to the side and whisper in my ear, "Dude. What are you, crazy?" Fact is, I am partially confused, but I am continuing to move my feet forward, one step at a time, one sweep of the cane at a time. It's all I know and it's becoming who I am.
I have two weeks to learn the new laptop, which is Windows 8.1. I have two weeks to learn Office 2013, which is infested with those pesky ribbons. I have two weeks to figure out where all my clothes are. My wife spent a whole day sorting and arranging and cleaning and hanging my clothes so that I can know where everything is and have no worries when it comes to how I look. The worst thing I could do is to show up on the first day of classes wearing a plaid dress shirt over a striped T-shirt.
I have two weeks to try and figure out Blackboard, my new Kennebec Valley Community College e-mail account, Learning Ally digital book portal, Firefly, my new digital recorder, and the hits just keep coming.
I also have two weeks, followed by the rest of my life, to try and thank all of you for your continued support, love and inspiration. I have been humbled by it all and do not want to think where I would be without it. This amazing bombardment of "Wow!" has come at me from all angles, most recently by the folks at the KVCC campus. Their infectious attitude and overall eagerness has helped me in so many different ways. I feel as though they have welcomed me to their family of learning in a most unique way, and with my efforts to show my appreciation, I truly feel as though I am heading into an amazing time in my life.
I used to drive around central Maine in my work truck wondering how my life might have been if I had done things differently. I wondered what it would have been like if I had applied myself. I wondered how things might have been different if I had gone on to college, or chosen a different profession, or taken a right on red, instead of just waiting for the light to turn green so I could drive straight ahead. I wondered, and I pondered, and I contemplated and scratched my head, tapped my feet and checked my rearview mirror, then I stepped on the gas and continued on with the way things were.
I have two weeks to go before I end up right where I'm supposed to be. This is sort of scary. This is the next step of this crazy, wild, amazing roller coaster ride. This is something I should have done about 30 years ago. This is something my wife told me I should do. This is something I never thought I'd do.
This sure is something.