blue collar workers are indispensable

Although I'd have liked to go to college, it wasn't an option for me when I finished high school. Twenty years later I took my first college class and finished with a BA degree in eight years. Why eight? Because I was always working and taking college classes concurrently so it took longer but I feel a pride that I did it.

I do not think college is for everyone but neither do I think people who want to attend college should be excluded. A brother-in-law told me "Why do you want a degree? Why not just help your children?" My children both graduated college so it was not an either or situation. During the last 15 years I worked at a university, I could receive a higher salary if I had a degree, regardless of what field in which I received the degree.

A college degree should be an individual's choice. I worked for five years as an academic advisor in the College of Business Administration. My job was to help students coordinate their course work toward their degree. I talked to one student who had taken a number of classes in English. I asked him why and he said because he loved the English language and writing but his dad had said he wouldn't pay for his degree unless he pursued a degree in Business Administration. Undoubtedly the father thought he was pushing his son in the right direction but I wonder if it made either or them happy.

Recently we hired a Hispanic man who spoke only broken English to do repairs on our home. He was amazing! He was so precise in all that he did and we were way beyond pleased at the results of his work. The man had his 9 year-old son with him. The son brought his father tools and seemed so proud to be working with his dad. Once I saw the man let his son use the drill to push in a screw and the father was talking to the son all the time about what he was doing and why. In past centuries fathers trained their sons in trades. I'm sure this is still taking place but I would venture to guess much less frequently.

My husband had a "little brother" in the Big Brother, Big Sister program. He taught his little brother to change the oil in his car. My husband said once "I don't think I made much of a difference in his life," but I think he did, if for nothing more than to learn to care for his car in this way.