What I'm asking is... do you have a Degree in Hindsight??
If only we did what a lot of heart ache we'd save ourselves. I used to constantly say 'hindsight?' to my eldest son. Five years ago when we thinking of moving here, my eldest son was bemoaning the fact that his photography job, altho' paid enough for him to live, left little time for a social life, as he had to drive great distances and work most weekends. Looking for other jobs in your 50s wasn't easy and jobs that paid as much as his photography work, all wanted a Degree Qualification. Of course he had dropped out of Uni when he was diagnosed with Crohns.
But there were night courses where he could get a degree in Arts with photography as his main subject. It would have been a 3 year course with some day classes. I offered him financial help if he had to cancel a booking photography day to attend a college that day. We looked at jobs he could get, even teaching.. which wouldn't have been arts but maths. And the salary was good with paid holidays, sick pay and a pension. ( He is self employed ) There is a big shortage of maths teachers and he excelled at maths and had the previous year coached a neighbour in his 30s, who was trying to get an 'O' and 'A' level in maths to do a college degree course! The man passed and was very very grateful to my son and said he should be a teacher! He has even helped sons of friends of mine, via face time or zoom to solve tricky higher level maths homework!
But my son wasn't too enthusiastic about a 3 year course. Since then what with covid and lockdown, his life has not been easy and here he is today, still working weekends and driving all over the country! Although now he is supplementing his photography work with his growing Ebay business and is in the position of being able to turn down work he doesn't fancy doing. Even told one firm not to bother contacting him again, because they always paid him last minute, which he said was very satisfying. And he does now have a social life meeting friends regularly and having some weekends free.
But he is still self employed and doesn't reckon he will retire till well into his 70s! If only he had taken that chance, he'd have a degree now.
Hindsight is cruel in some ways and yet other ways life saver. What so you think?
Chrisxx
5 comments:
I am of the firm opinion that we all have a degree in hindsight. An advanced degree even!
Great blog
He’s possibly had a far more interesting life than he would have had as a maths teacher.
Having a degree will always stand you in good stead, even though it means constant study for 3 years - I did a degree as a mature age student and loved it. Your son would have made an invaluable contribution as a maths teacher, a pity, he sounds like he thrived on the subject.
Adding to my previous comment, my niece unwillingly did a Dip Ed after her degree, but this enabled her to work as a relief teacher while living in England (we're Australian). We weren't so fortunate, in my day our working holiday jobs in the UK consisted of waitressing and we were always short of money. While I did do a degree a lot later I've never regretted it, it opened up a world I didn't know about. So I'd always recommend returning to the classroom even if you have to be dragged there kicking and screaming.
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