Last Thursday was the Portfolio Show for the second year Visual Communication students at Sinclair. I was a participant with a portfolio prepared to showcase my design work. This experience could easily inspire a number of different blogs, but after speaking to this sweet 82-year-old woman at the Portfolio Show, I decided to focus on the topic of age.
This kind lady told me how she had gone back to school at Sinclair when her kids were out of the house. That was in 1978 when she was 50 years old. She got an Associate Degree in Art and went on make beautiful paintings. Some of these were in Dayton art galleries. She even had a painting in the Dayton Art Institute for a short period. Now at 82, she decided to return to Sinclair to learn how to do graphics on the computer.
"I think I will be the next Grandma Moses and become famous in my old age," said this kind woman. "There were no computers in the art department when I went to Sinclair. I think computer graphics are pretty cool and that's what I want to learn next."
While this woman is inspiring, I found this depressing...recently my daughter's friend was over while I was working on my homework. She asked, "Mrs. Marticello, aren't you too old for college?" (Thanks kid!)
It has been said that you are never too old to rock-n-roll, but can the same be said about going back to school?
On most days at Sinclair, I don't feel old. I feel that I am just as fit (if not more fit) as I was during my days at Regis University. All-nighters are doable but not practical, not because of my age, but because of the motherly duties that I have the next day. I may have more wrinkles, but also have more insights and world perspectives than I did back when I was in college. I try not to bore the younger students with those insights.
The one big physical difference between now and my former college days is my eyesight. I had 20/20 vision all my life. Then I turned 40 and sh'bam, it's suddenly time for reading glasses. I often forget to bring them to school because I am not used having to wear them or because I am in denial. So I have to zoom in on all the computer screens or hold my paper test a arm length away. Talk about looking old--it is embarrassing.
I miss my old eyesight. but if that is my only "ailment", I can live with it. Besides, most of my friends of the same age are going through the same thing. I am refusing to wear my eyeglasses on chain around my neck until I am a lot older. I don't need to have the 'grandma' look at 42.
I think being around the young students at Sinclair is keeps me feeling young. Learning new things in the classroom is makes me renewed and ready to take on new challenges. Like most Sinclair students, I look forward to see what the future has in store for me.
It is like my grandmother used to say, "Being young is a state of mind...don't take everything so seriously and enjoy each and every day."
