Okay, I think it's time to make my feelings on this issue known. I have held my tongue for a few years now, but I'm done. I think people assume that it doesn't bother me when they make comments or criticize me, or judge me. But let me say this: it does. What am I speaking about, you may ask. Well, I'll tell you.
Yes, I did go to college. For 4 years. Yes, I do have lots of school loans from going to college for those four years. Yes, I did learn a lot while I was in college. No. I don't have a college degree. Does that somehow make you better than me? Does that somehow make me inferior to you? Does that somehow give you the right to make fun of me and judge me? I wouldn't think so, but apparently it does.
There are many things that contributed to me not having a college degree. And perhaps instead of making fun of me, or judging me, you should ask me about those things. I am not trying to make excuses for why I don't have a degree or why I have $30,000+ in school loans and no degree, but I think it is only the polite thing to do to ask instead of judging.
Yes, I do have plans to go back and finish my degree. Yes, I do have a job right now that doesn't pay me hardly anything. No, I don't own a car, my own house or apartment. Yes, I do think those things are important, but do I think they are the be all, end all of life? NO!
While we are talking about the be all end all of things...do I think a degree is the be all end all of life? NO! Having a degree doesn't say anything about who I am as a person. It doesn't measure my intelligence, it doesn't measure my ability to care for others, and it certainly doesn't make you better than me.
This is just some food for thought for the people who may have been among the people that have done this. Just think about how the things you say about a person can effect their self esteem and their feelings of self worth.
A quote I read the other day that I think seems appropriate here: "Don't judge her. You don't know what storms I've asked her to walk through."
