Imagine this. I'm in a room, conducting a PTO meeting. There are several teachers there and a couple of parent members. The conversation changes from the task at hand to a very unfamiliar topic to myself.
College.

Of course every teacher has attended college at some point. And every parent in that room with me had also had the experience of attending and finishing college at some point in their lives.

And there I was. The degree-less mom out of the bunch. Listening to their stories of what sororities they were a part of and what degrees they'd obtained. And there I was feeling totally insignificant in the company of the educated.

I planned on going straight into the workforce right after high school. School was just not for me, so I thought. Wasn't doing well in high school. Why make those same mistakes and have my parents pay for it?

Then came the marriage and the children and serveral other excuses as to why I simply did not have the time. But in that room, at that time, when the conversation turn to me and I was asked, "Why haven't you gone back with all the time you are at home all day?" I had little to say. The excuses flooded my brain, but in the presence of "scholars" and educators, no excuse seemed good enough. And to me, to every educated person in that room, I became "The Dumb One".

Sure I had PLANNED on starting an online degree class several times. Sure I'd just talked to my little sister on the way to the meeting about getting my financial aid started, but in the 12 years since graduating high school, I have made no progress on all those promises.

This is my year to a better me. And for me, that not only means my health, by my mind as well. Just as I don't like what I see in the mirror and I have opted to do something about it, I didn't like the person I saw in that meeting in comparison to the others. I have to do something about it. I have to stop talking about it and make it happen.

This is my year for change.