It was my first day of school today. I asked Jan to pack my lunch in a metal lunch box like I used to take to Wind Point Elementary back in the day. That was when Snack Pack Pudding was in a can with a pop-top lid. Cheetos were in a blue bag. We had a matching thermos for our milk, or it could be purchased for a nickel. She was not very cooperative, though. She made no effort to find a lunch box and proceeded to tell me not to talk too much in class. And then she had the audacity to admonish me not to be sent to the principal’s office on the first day!
I am taking Conversational Spanish at Tarrant County College in Ft. Worth. My instructor is a native of Russia who holds a graduate degree in Spanish.

My fellow students are all Randall’s age. I am old enough to be their father. We introduced each other in class today (in Spanish, of course). The poor girl who was paired up with me was probably thinking: “How did I get stuck with Gramps?
I was actually pretty amused by the events of my first day back to school. Students on campus greeted me warmly. I wondered why. And then it occurred to me that today is the first day of class. They are thinking: “That guy may be my accounting professor! I had better speak to him…” Or maybe they are thinking: “That poor old man has still not finished a degree. I sure feel sorry for him.” I can only guess.
I am of a mind that we are never too old to learn. I need to be able to speak Spanish very well. I will use it in every facet of my job. The instructor is excellent. I can tell that I will learn a lot from her this semester.
I had better keep my latest educational endeavor under wraps with my #1 son, Randall. He will no doubt ask protruding questions about test grades, cumulative grand point averages, and other personal matters that fathers would prefer not to share with their college-aged kids.
Dr. Knox will make his way to the community college every week for Spanish until the middle of May. Perhaps I can share a fat free snack pack with one of my new 20-something friends at lunch. I know it will be important for me to be a listening ear for those kids. I am sure they all have stories that need to be shared. Hopefully, I can learn to communicate in Spanish and in love, too. I must go study my vocabulary now. Randall will want to know what I make on my first test, and I certainly don’t want to be embarrassed…