There is so much excitement when a parent watches their baby’s very first steps. We shout, “hurry, get the video camera.” Next we call grandma and grandpa to announce the wonderful event. Our hearts swell with pride because something special has just happened. This tiny little person has just begun their journey into life.
At first, careless and free from stress or obligation, we begin to experience new and wonderful things. Take a minute to think back to your own childhood. Remember the thrill of swinging as high as you could possibly go, without a care in the world? Then came school and the fun you had with finger paints. You learned to sing and dance and play ball. Over and over there was something new. Then one day you enthusiastically put on your cap and gown, walked in to Pomp and Circumstances, and received your high school diploma. What an adventure it all was.
Now, all grown up, you have to make decisions about where to journey next. Will it be college? Will you join the military? Will you become a teacher, a dentist or a pilot? Will you get married and begin your own family? Eventually it all comes together and you settle into your adult life. Time begins to pass and at times you may think back to your earlier days when life was constantly being filled with new beginnings and new things to try. No wonder Peter Pan didn’t want to grow up.
There is absolutely no reason we can’t experience the joy of beginning again. Do you want more from life than your daily routine? We are not suggesting here that you quit your job or move across country, although that certainly is an option. Most of us have thought about that other thing we wish we had done but think it’s too late now. You may sit in an office yet dream of sitting in your own art studio, painting beautiful seascapes. Maybe you have a talent for writing and in the back of your mind you have a novel ready to go. Why do we not do these things? We all need to experience the satisfaction of beginning something new again.
We have a great resource through the Saddleback College Emeritus Institute. They offer many courses for adults at 30 different locations throughout Orange County. If you would like to be challenged academically, you can do that. If you want to enjoy the social aspect of learning with others, you can do that too. Go to Saddleback College and you will find all the information you would need.