I have been trying to decide about which concerts to attend and write reports on for my Music Appreciation class. I had narrowed it down to La Boheme, which is an opera being performed by the Knoxville Opera at the Tennessee Theater, or Rhythms and Dreams performed by the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra for the first concert, and the KSO’s Man and Superman. My friend, Olivia, told me she could send me links to the Carson Newman performances, though, and they are kind of attractive, whatever they are, because they are free. The KSO and opera are both kind of pricey. Chris says free is definitely better, but I think I would really like to go to the opera. Now, I have never thought of myself as a fan of opera music, but, then again, I’ve never actually been to an opera. I think it would be a very interesting experience, even if I left saying that I still wasn’t a fan of opera music.

I am trying hard lately to expand my cultural horizons. For the last couple of years, I have been reading classic literature, and very much enjoying it. Growing up in the part of the country that I have, while I love both the place and the people, I find the attitude of glorifying ignorance downright…stupid. You know what I mean…the “I’m just a good ‘ole redneck, I like to get dirty and shoot stuff, and watch the Blue Collar Comedy Tour. Anything more than that is a waste of time.” It’s the looking down upon education that I find so infuriating. I totally get that not everyone enjoys academic things, and that is fine. It used to be, though, that having an education was a good thing. This “Larry the Cable Guy culture” is dumb. Most of the guys that I grew up with had it in their heads that they would finish high school, get a good paying blue collar job, and that was the manly thing to do. They made fun of any guy that was leaning towards furthering his education. I think that is so stupid. It’s not the choosing not to read…or go to college…or listen to anything other than country music…etc. that makes me mad, it’s the looking down on it. So many young people that I know are selling themselves short by not having an ambition that matches their potential.

I have had this underlying feeling that people thought that I am something that I don’t think is true to who I really am. I felt like they were automatically categorizing me as one thing because I married very young, didn’t go straight to college, and had kids before anything else. I kind of felt like I needed to defend my intelligence or something. I did very well in school, and I intended to go to college. Things changed, though. I fell in love, got married, and started a family. I am glad that I did that. I don’t think that I was in the right place…emotionally, spiritually, etc… to go the straight to college route. I am a much different person than I was when I graduated high school, nearly seven years ago. I feel like I’m ready now to further my education, and I’m really excited about it.

People keep asking me why I’m going to college. I can’t give them a pat “because I want to be a…” answer. I am majoring in psychology. I may or may not ever have a job in that field. I plan to stay home with the kids until they are grown. I am going to be married to an Army chaplain, and I don’t really know what all that entails yet. I think that I may be interested in counseling, but I just don’t know yet. The real reason that I’m going to college is to grow as a person (as cliche as that might sound), to learn about things, and to prepare myself for whatever the future holds. I don’t know what opportunities might present themselves down the road, but I want to be ready for them.

So, while I may have took the scenic route, I’ve finally gotten here, and the horizon looks broad and terribly exciting.