Quitting Is Not Defeat!

I took an expository writing course that covered research methods, analytical, critical thinking, and rhetorical strategies this summer. The course is usually sixteen weeks, but during the summer it is condensed into six weeks. For two and a half hours Monday-Thursday I went to class at the junior college with a room full of young people. Some of them knew what they wanted to do while others, like myself at their age, were doing what they needed to do to get their degree. What they wanted to do or be in life was still a mystery.

The next few weeks in class exposed how differently I viewed the reading material than my young peers. My life experiences played a large role in the conclusions I drew from the reading material, whereas their experiences were limited. I could see how insulated they were from the world and how the school system had failed them. They knew how to use technology but the “why” of something was not explored. I must admit that asking myself why I believed something and backing it up was not as easy as one would think. Getting information from the news on television, radio, or the internet can slant one’s point of view. That’s why getting information from more than one source is important, something that most of us don’t do. The class reminded me to question whether or not what I believed was me or what I have been fed. I needed to back up my beliefs or point of view with facts not feelings.

I enjoyed the class although it was a struggle to keep up with the reading and writing assignments. In the end, I dropped out of the class. I was overwhelmed and frustrated with the pace, so I dropped the class. Quitting the class was not an easy decision, I felt like I had failed until I realized that I had learned what I needed to learn from the class. Maybe I’ll take the sixteen-week course, maybe I won’t. Life for me is about staying active, learning, and enjoying every moment of every day. I’m proud of myself for trying something new and not allowing my age to stop me.

Quitting is not necessarily declaring defeat, sometimes it’s acknowledging that now is not the right time.