The Flip Side

Tina Bausinger

Okay, so I might be a little hard on myself by calling myself geriatric.  I’m not quite that old, but I am at least 15 years older than the average student.

Chalk it up to changing majors and basically life happening.

There are some drawbacks to being the “old lady” in class:
1. People sometimes mistake me for the teacher, who usually has a “Dr.” in front of his or her name.
2. I have, in fact, worn the same shirt as the teacher. Awkward.
3. Speaking of doctors, I am the same age as mine. 
4. People automatically call me ma’am, and sometimes the conversation comes to a screeching halt when I come in the room.  It’s like everyone believes I’m the hall monitor or the kid who takes names.
5. Sometimes teachers assume I don’t mind helping tutor other students, because apparently I don’t have a life since I am “taking my time” getting my degree. 
6. I remember the Bee Gees. Not fondly.
7. I know all the words to Staying Alive.  Remembering a ton of lyrics to songs from the 1970s and 1980s is not a good use of brain cells, which I need badly right now.
8. I am not as technologically savvy as other students, and it sometimes stresses me out.  I admit I have Twitter anxiety. I have no idea how to use it.  So basically I am a Twitter Twit.
9. I don’t understand most of the emoticons everyone uses, in texting or on Facebook.    I need to write a dictionary so old farts like me don’t feel completely blank when we see a bunch of sideways punctuation marks, i.e. :P.  See previous remarks on wasted brain space. >_>.
10. I break out into a cold sweat whenever I’m asked what my anticipated date of graduation is.  I really have no idea.  At the rate I’m going, I suspect I’ll have a walker and be heavily padded by Depends.

So if you see me, or some other poor soul in my age group in your class, please be kind.  And if you are older than me, I will feel just a tad bit of relief when I hear another student ask you, “So, you on Twitter?”