I have jokingly referred to myself as "40" ever since I became that blessed number back in March. Statements such as, "Look what 40 did today.", or "40 had to get glasses.", and so on have permeated my social media pages. It's been fun.
Probably the biggest thing "40" did this year though, was return to school.
I applied and was accepted in the Master's program at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in August and it has been the biggest confirmation that I am in fact, forty.
School is not the same school I remember. Just for a little insider information, I am now on first name basis with the IT guys. Although it's referred to as, OATS, for my school and I should probably figure out what that stands for...
It was necessary for me to become familiar with the IT or as I will now be calling them, "OATS guys", because 40 doesn't possess computer skills. Every blessed thing is now done on the computer. EVERYTHING. And you think, so what? We've been doing things on computers now for a long time. Yes, we have, but 40 is only familiar with things like FaceBook and email, and she's not too great with those. And when 40 was in school she turned everything in by hand straight to her professor.
By hand. To Professor.
Now I have to upload it to somewhere where I can find it, then attach it somehow without the format changing, and hit submit and pray and cross my fingers it gets to where it suppose to go. There is this demon called "blackboard" where all things school go to and on and I had to take a training class just to be able to almost figure it out.
And I cannot forget to let you know about this all important thing: I have worked solely on a MAC for 15 years. Because of this, I have had to self-teach Microsoft to, you guessed it - myself, because NOBODY likes MAC. Nobody. Period.
There is an upside to all things that myself and a fellow female seminary student have observed. Since we are in the minority (being female at a seminary school) there is never a line to the bathroom. NEVER.
This also great because 40 tends to need that more often than 20 did.
Needless to say this semester has been a learning one for me in more ways than I can count. It has stretched my tech skills or really lack thereof, opened my world to new people (I love my Monday night class crew!), and proven to myself that 40 can do this.
My very first day of class I cried all through the opening prayer.
Not for any reason other than I was so very thankful. Thankful for the opportunity. Thankful that this dream of mine was actually happening. Thankful that my professor was actually seeking God and the Holy Spirit's guidance to enable him and us this semester. Just overwhelmingly thankful.
So 40 is at school. She is wearing glasses and learning how to do this thing called seminary.
40 loves it.
And, by the way. 40 is almost 41!