Always nice to read some good news!

a medical technologist?

medical technologist is a different animal.

a MT program back in the day but faltered and thus changed my major. Now, many years later I'm back in school part time nights and working for that degree. By the time I get it I will be old enough to retire but I just want to prove to myself that I can do it, thats all. All but one of the classes remaining are 4 credit hour with labs. Gen Chem 2 and Physics are up next.

It all started 4 years ago when I thought I might like to take a math class our community college. Out of control now but better late than never. Our daughter is in her 3rd year as a MT student.

but lack the time, the money, and after years of struggling, the motive. But I can understand your doing it...

...i know how you feel, maybe. Life has been good to me (and us), I have a B.S. degree plus a whole bunch of other assorted training and certifications. But still, I really want to do this for me, sort of like a hobby. I'm taking/taken a number of classes over again (Chem 1&2, pre-calc, General Bio, and so forth). Doing it the hard way I suppose. As soon as I finish O Chem 1&2 (next year), will transfer to a 4 year state univ. for the final push and the internship. I'm over the hump but have, as you know, some real hard classes are ahead of me.

The difference between now and the late 1970s is attitude-my attitude. I now really enjoy hard science and math and work very dilligently to do well. I guess we do things that we really want, I wish I wanted to do this years ago when I could have made it my life calling but you cannot change the past only work towards the future.

I worked my ass off. I was determined to show the young'ns that I could still kick ass in my mid-late 50s. I graduated summa cum laude, with a single B+ in oral communications and A- in literature. Everything else, clinical and general sciences were As, with bio, micro, A&P, chemistry and statistics close to 100% averages. Actually, biology may have been over 100%. I left very few points on the table

The thing is, life was not good to me in a lot of ways and I'm too fried now. If I came into a lot of money and could totally retire and pay people to do alot of crap, I might go back for fun, although it's more likely that I would want to travel a little instead. But as it is, I just want to play with my dogs, ride my horse, putter around my garden and nap. I'm really, really tired mentally, physically and emotionally.

it's never too late and where there is a will there is a way. One of my lab partners who works as a tech like you is also going after her Associates degree. Same story as mine but she works in the field, I don't. Her employer is willing to pay some of her costs, mine is not because i'm in manufacturing. But on the plus side my company allows me to take time off for school when needed. She is going to settle for an associates degree, nothing less than a B.S. will make me happy.

I think the hardest part of it so far was simply making the decision to open up the this huge can of worms, stare the past down and make the commitment. A rather large black cloud has been removed from overhead. It has completly changed my outlook on life.

Good that you got a raise. Hopefully you can use some of that money to climb back into the saddle.

I got 3 things out of my system years ago: Motorcycles, boats and horses! I agree with you on travel but still the desire to get my MT degree is strong and I cannot fight it.