From point A to point B

These are difficult times. We all hurt. We all suffer. We battle our own demons and, far too often, the demons of others. Who of us hasn't experienced a time when we've felt abandoned and forsaken, adrift in a seemingly endless morass of uncertainly and self-doubt, questioning our values and our very worth?
The above quote was shamelessly stolen from another blog.
I'm 44. Seemingly too old to start a new career. I met with a lovely lady from the admissions office to a local technical college. "Why are you interested in returning to school?" "Would'nt you rather audit a class?" The questions kept coming, and they all had the vague thread of..."Aren't you just a little to old to think about starting over in a completely different career?" Too old? No, that is the least of the obstacles before me. 2 years from now I will probably have the exact same problems, but the difference will be, I will have a degree in Computer Science. Too old? Is 44 too old?
I've raised children, managed a household, worked steadily for 20+ years, faced challenges and somehow found time to learn new skills on a regular basis. It's called curiousity. I do admit some were more for neccessity than curiousity. I dated a raging alcoholic who would not go to a barbershop for a haircut. "You can't drink beer in a barbershop" was his explanation. Too handsome for a buzz cut, I went to the library and checked out a how to book on basic haircutting. I can cut hair, hang sheetrock, brew beer, play the piano, knit, quilt, change a tire, take photographs, understand computers all because there are books in the library covering these and many other subjects. I guess I didn't know I was too old.
Do I dread taking classes where the average entry age into this career is 24? You betcha! Do I dread physically going into a classroom where I will be the oldest, heaviest, most depressed person? Yes, more than you can imagine. Will it prevent me from opening that door? No, I just will have to reconcile the fact that I probably will not be voted Prom Queen. Too old? Maybe for an Olympic medal or a part in High School Musical, but 4 classes a week at the local community college....nah.