Graduated

Done with school -
I mean DONE with school.
I ain't goin' BACK!
Don't get me wrong, I love learning and I'm sure I'll take the odd class here and there; I am even more certain that I will audit a few sessions in the GreenMBA at Dominican University (which I just COMPLETED). But, I doubt that I will do anything more serious than post-grad certification-type classes in future.
For me, completing grad school last week was more than just the 2 1/2 years I spent getting my MBA in Sustainable Enterprises. Since I did my undergrad work as an older adult, this past week has been the culmination of 15 years of working full time and going to school at least half-time.
My GOD, that's longer than doing K through 12 as a kid - and I spent half a lifetime recovering from THAT!!
So, what's next (probably NOT a PhD.)?
To start with, my wife and I are off to India for a couple of months. So this will probably turn into a travel-blog, at least for the time being.
India . . . hhhmmm . . . while traveling all over much of the world during the last 30 years, Ricky and I have always figured that we'd just-as-soon skip going to India - too crowded, too crazy, too much poverty, hunger, and disease - in short: too many people working-out their personal and collective KARMA right out in public. But now, after having observed a lot of "third-world" (I HATE that term) reality over the years, I think we will handle India better than we would have as twenty-somethings. This attitude is bearing in mind that all the "Old India-Hands we've met latlely tell us, "You ain't seen nothin' yet."
Well, maybe . . . but I don't think any of them had seen Saigon, Managua, or Lima, Peru during a political riot. Nevertheless, we do feel a little trepidation; despite the fact that despite their warnings, all our "fellow-travellers" tell us that India is INCREDIBLE, BEAUTIFUL, LIFE-CHANGING.
LIFE-CHANGING? . . . hhhmmm . . . now that's sayin' something.
I've had my life changed before, so if you're saying that a place (or a person, or a thing) is "life-changing," well, you better know what you're talkin' about.
In any case, I'm glad I've got this journey coming up (BTW - we leave TOMORROW), otherwise the aftermath of FINISHING SCHOOL would have had me crawling the walls of my office. As it is, I cannot stay in my chair working for more than 15 or 20 minutes without having to go out and find someone or something to distract me from the inside of my head.
I mean, I BE TRIPPIN'!
I promise to tone-down the bold-font, the italics and the ALL-CAPS in my future posts. But for now I'm kinda over-amped by the shear reality of my situation.
I am finished with school, not just for the semester, but FINISHED.
We are going to INDIA f'chrissakes!!!
Not Mexico, or Bolivia, or even, Thailand, Cambodia, or Laos . . .
. . . but, INDIA.
The fine-weave sheet between waking-life and dream-life is gettin' sari-silk thin.
MORE LATER . . .

Recently, one of my professors asked me how I felt, now that I was "rolling into the finish line" on this whole grad school deal - I give my final Capstone Presentation in just a few daze. I really had to stop and think. This particular teacher is someone I truly admire and respect, Thea Bellos - a great woman, from whom I've learned a thing or two! Once, after I had thanked her for all the support she had given me (including my impression that she is one of a few who "get" me), she replied, "I try to see everyone in their own specialness...you wanted to be seen and that's the first step." That was the first time I ever got positive recognition for wanting attention. So, I didn't want to just be clever. Since she was kind enough to ask, I wanted to give her an honest assessment of my emotional state. Which meant I had to give myself a chance to stop thinking about it for a minute and try to feel how I felt.

Anyway, below are some reflections on "graduating" from grad school.

. . .hhhmmm, how do I feel?
Well, a little numb, a little overwhelmed, anxious, tired, proud, frightened, confident, and somewhat disconnected.
I am quite sure that the GreenMBA (at Dominican University - the only "real" / trademarked "GreenMBA") was the best choice for me as far as grad school goes. Nevertheless, I am still not really sure what that actually means.
I still need to figure out where I fit in and which way to herd this pony.
Since I am not an entrepreneur type, nor am I Super-Greenie on a particular mission, I feel slightly set adrift, but kinda in a good way.
At least I'm now educated, experienced, and relatively healthy (if not yet wealthy and wise) - at least I have aspirations now, instead of mere pretensions and affectations.
Yes, indeed, I wanted to be SEEN. In fact I can't imagine NOT wanting to be seen. That is to say, I can definitely relate to wanting to "hide-out" sometimes; but that's not quite the same as "not wanting to be seen," is it?

Incarnation Encounters

School's almost out!

Going to India.

Holy Cow!

More later!!!