TheBanyanTree: Higher Education

[Maria Gibson]

When I met you, I was preschool.  Life was pretty much primary shapes, 
nap time after snack time and popsicle stick ships sailing on finger 
painted watercolor oceans.  God, I loved a good fairy tale, then.  The 
prince always, always rode the white horse as the princess waited for 
him.  Goblins lived under the bed, sure, but a flashlight and a soothing 
motherly touch frightened them away to nothing shadows, a magic land to 
which bad things could be swept away.  Good living, that, playful and 
carefree.  But every girl needs to start her education so off I went to 
class and there you were, my first study partner.

There was a lot to learn in elementary school.  The bus ride and the 
school lunch were both more romantic in theory than in actuality.  
Bullies come in all shapes and sizes and they will find you, friend, oh 
yes they will.  Comfort cannot be found in the coat room and the pen 
flows reddest where the tears stream fastest.  I learned a lot from you 
and they were lessons not to be forgotten very quickly, not at all.  I 
carried them, carry them all with me to that great middle ground, the 
years before and during high school.  These lessons will pave the way 
for the rest of my schooling.

'Cause I moved on from your little education, I certainly did, and I 
promise you I am not the same.  The shapes gained odd sides and my 
popsicle ship broke into a million pieces, sinking to the bottom of a 
waterless ocean.  Still, I find purpose in it all.  Moving on with surer 
steps, anticipating a new year and a new friend.  I don't need a best 
friend.  Just a dedicated one.  As with most educational plans there is 
a flow and this one is that by the time I've been through this, I'll be 
better equipped for college and graduate school.  I'm not sure of the 
degree and I won't be granted grants.  This will be paid for by full 
tuition with the barest of hope for a scholarship but I'll press forward 
anyway.

Because the best lesson was the one I learned from self-study.  That no 
matter the bullies or fading colors, I have a degree to earn, for better 
or worse.  I have a course to follow and course work to complete and 
there are many friends out there ready to help me, I just have to be 
more careful in finding the right one.   No surprise, I think, that I 
may have to go through several before finding the best fit.

I'm seeking a diploma and I'll need to find the right tutor to help me 
earn it.  It's just going to take a little longer than I had at first 
thought.

Maria