Yesterday I attended a college graduation ceremony. It is after all that time of the year. It was a four-hour drive there and the same back. On that long drive back late yesterday my husband and I started talking about our college days.
Many plans changed when I got pregnant when I was a senior in High School. Although that certainly didn't disappoint me or my husband it did complicate our lives. I was very pregnant when Graduated High school, but I did graduate.
He dropped out of college to work a job to support us. Of course, dropping out of school at that time meant a certain 2 years in the army. I think at least some of you remember the Draft. I had plans to enter college after graduation but instead I was soon a mom. Being a wife and mom was the best job in the world. The army and Vietnam complicated our lives. Yes, it was hard, but it didn't defeat us.
I guess this story actually starts three years later. He was out of the army and home from Vietnam. We had been married 4 years before we got to spend an anniversary together. He was working full time and started school at night at the "Jr College" close to home. He was going as much for the Government payment from the GI bill as anything.
I enrolled in the nursing program at the same school. I was 22, a mom and a housewife. I was older than most by a few years. Of course, I had to take all the support courses that seemed kind of stupid to be a nurse. Since most of the classes were filled with graduating high school kids, I had to take any available classes.
My psychology class was interesting, well sort of. I was the only female in a class with 9 "BOYS". Yes, I said boys, they seemed like immature jocks. They didn't seem to mind me being in the class. Although I did seem to be a distraction for them.
The professor was 35. He didn't exactly fit my mental image of a professor. He wasn't bad looking at all. I'm not sure why he suggested I sit close to the front, probably to protect me from the guys!
There was an assignment to give a demonstration on something no one else in the class could do. I thought about bringing my daughter to class, but I figured that was too easy. It actually was my husband's idea that made me settle on my plan. I guess he had watched me do it enough he thought I had it perfected. I could change my clothes in a public place and never expose sensitive skin.
He helped me pick the clothes I would wear and what to change into. I wore shorts and a button up blouse to class. Under those I had a matching blue bra and French cut panties. The panties were sort of like a string bikini bottom.
He helped me choose a dress. I'm not sure we called it a sundress back then but, it kind of was. It was light weight, fit loose, sleeveless and hit me in the middle of my thigh. Oh, and unless I forget it was white with blue dots. To wear under it I took along a matching black bra and French cut panties. That was my husband's idea. Looking back maybe that was a little over the top. I think he was way more into the idea than I was.
Of course, I had to have shoes, so I sorted through all the flip flops I owned and chose a pair that looked very much like all the others. It didn't matter it gave me that bare foot look I wanted for the presentation. There's just something about bare toes!
