For your consideration: my thoughts on a recent news article.

I am a huge fan of getting my news online. Keepin' tabs on Britney is a pleasant media diversion to real life. Reading blogs is now one of my favorite ways to pass time. So why was I so irritated when I read this article on my former daily paper's site? You'd think the topic of student loans and the realization of the Dream would be something I'd welcome a report on.

Turns out I hate it. The article, especially the comments on
this page, are repulsive. The report strikes me as inflammatory and sensational. I will be the first to admit that education comes at a price (or several prices, when you think about it) but it remains a privilege. For me, higher education has provided opportunities for reflection, self-study, learning and a start on a path.

Where has the path led? To my husband speaking Luganda to a friend and colleague on the phone just now. To a job I enjoy in supporting an artistic discipline I didn't realize I had such a passion for. To a fork in the road, coming at some point soon, that will lead my husband to Africa once again while I remain stateside. (Brief aside: I might enjoy going for a short time. A month? A couple of weeks? Maybe a bit. I digress.) To uncertainty in when we will own a home, where we will own it and when we might start a family. The path has led to a lot more questions than answers at this moment, and while unsettling I have decided this is the way of my life for now, and I should be grateful.

The authors of the article I've mentioned found Iowans who seemed to regret that their paths came with such high prices. After several days' reflection and thought, I've decided it's a price I'm willing to pay. Some loans will have to be repaid, some preconceived notions and assumptions revisited. But this is nothing to be feared. This is just the way it is.