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In Reply to: Re: I worked and did college posted by Acheick on November 23, 2003 at 19:34:58:
I'm sorry to hear that you're tired and that you've been going through a lot. I'm sorry to hear that your circumstsances prevent you from going back to college or from getting a degree at present. In lots of ways, we're in the same boat here: out in the country, kids still in school, house that needs fixing, gotta make a living, and now winter's here and our customer base isn't -- they're back in the city, so it's all austerity for the next 5 months. And then there's the fact that even if we did get degrees, would we want to do a 9-5 thing? If that were the case, we'd be on the road travelling to and from the job which would mean a reliable vehicle and all it's related costs, lost time at home doing the little things that we love, etc..... Fran has an opportunity to upgrade her executive secretary skills. One of her housecleaning customers will train her (at no charge) in all the in's and outs of the dental industry. But Fran would prefer to build on her lawn and garden thing. It pays really good in the summer (May thru September), she's her own boss, she loves doing it, she can call her own hours and make as much as she decides to make, she'd be close to home and within a few minutes of her customers, she'd have time to work on her own gardens --- there's a payoff in all of this, and by the fall of next year she wouldn't have to work winters at all, cause she's at the point where building the business will pay enough to live off savings. That would give her time to fix the house, be there for the kids, be there for me, be there for herself which would include pursuing an on line degree in botony, etc....
Myself, I've built the business enough to take the winter off, go south for a vacation, and who knows, maybe I'll pursue my art this year and make that my business on top of the one I've already got going - you know, hire a couple of guys to do the handiman. One of my dilemas right now is: should I keep working and hire someone to fix the house (cause I'd come out on top financially doing that), or, because I'm wiped out from a busy fall season, should i just knock off for the winter, fix the house myself, live off savings, paint 20-30 paintings and hold a showin the summer to cover living off the savings. My economic mind tells me to keep working, but my love Charlie time mind says, "knock it off, fix the house, go south for a vactaion, do the art thing when you get back, and trust the Lord for it all."
I was just checking out the online degree thing and found that the University of Phenix has a "life experience degree" that they are offering. If I were to pursue that, I would have a fine arts degree in the bag. I'd also have a theology degree, and with a bit of side study, a degree in business. I could then purssue up and coming degrees in who knows what -- ornatholgy, psychology, perhaps botony, and maybe, if I really put my mind to it, biology. I'd be MR. EDUCATION wouldn't I? (hee hee). Oh well, it's nice to dream. In the meantime my "handiman degree" is what's keeping the wolf away from the door. Maybe I should print up a little business card: "Charlie's Wolf away Ministry"
My 4th year geology daughter just got approached by an oil company and landed a job for $4000/mo. Education pays. what's she going to get when she gets her doctorate? Yikes!
