It is Never Too Late to Pursue Your Passion!

TODAY I WITNESSED A SMALL MIRACLE!
Seek your Dreams and they will find you!

Early this morning I awoke and made a journey across the bay to attend a very special event.  It was to attend the college graduation ceremony of a friend of mine.  Bright and early near the water under the palms Pat received her college diploma after 40 years.  She had taken university courses when she was younger, but events in her life had taken her away from her pursuit.  Now in her fifties it looked like her dream of being a college graduate might not happen and then the closing of her job offered her the chance to go back to school.  Two years later and lots of hard work Pat graduated.  It was held under a giant tent in the Florida heat and humidity.  The names were called off, one hopeful young person after another stepped up and families cheered.  When Pat's name was called we, her family and friends, yelled and clapped. The pride in her face was so wonderful to witness and the pride in her husbands face who also had graduated two years earlier, was just as great. It is much harder to go back to college when you are older among much younger students.  This college, as some do, offer a program for experienced learners.    

You may wonder why I put this story in an art blog, but the pursuit of ones dreams is no small thing when you don't relent and don't give up the satisfaction is twice as sweet!  But, Pat is an artist as well.  She is one of the most creative people I know.  Her most recent research paper is about the artists of the WPA and Federal One project.  It is a fascinating topic of how in the worst of times people found a way to bring out the best in human nature.  During the worst depression America has ever known a government group had the idea to support art and artists with federal monies and get people back to work. This is a wonderful topic and I would like to cover it more in depth in another post, but now I would like to focus on bringing your passion and dreams to reality as Pat did today.  

It is truly a miracle at what Pat achieved today.  There is so much in life that can keep one from seeking ones dreams, there is no end to reasons or events in life that we give credit to being obstacles to our success.  And there are many countries where a woman and a mature person could never to school much less go back to school.  So it is no small achievement that was done today and my friend walked across that stage and received her diploma with honors when one considers the small percentage of women in any country that could go back to school in their 50's and get their degree.  

So be like Pat, wherever you live and how ever old you are, seek out your passion, let nothing stand in your way and go after that dream!  Pat will go on to give much back to her community and to others because she sought out a higher education.  People will be enriched and lives improved, just like a pebble dropped in a pond...the rings of influence will reach out even when Pat doesn't know her passion and love of learning and art has touched other lives!

Pursuit of the Race  WPA Art       from college for educational purposes only