Second College Journey

 10 years ago I discovered I could attend college at any public Georgia college/university tuition free. The requirement is be 62 years old and a Georgia resident. All required is an application, $60.00 fee and previous college transcripts. Taking exercise science courses would be an inexpensive way of getting continuing education credits to maintain coaching licenses I have. Upon acceptance at Georgia State University I was asked if I wanted to declare a major. When they also advised 130 hours had transferred from my previous college career so I was a senior, I embarked on a second undergrad degree, this time in exercise science. 

Along the way I took other courses of interest, and in 2017 wound up with an undergrad gerontology and BS in exercise science. I then started working on a graduate gerontology degree fueled by an interest doing a research thesis "Comparison of  cardiovascular changes occurring in older adults engaging in diverse types of stationary cycling exercise". Along the way I won third place in what's called the "Three Minute Thesis" competition, spent 2 weeks in a study abroad semester in China, and prepared my thesis proposal. Covid derailed my research plan. Instead I founded Georgia Cycling Without Age, a nonprofit that provides opportunities for those with limited mobility to enjoy the freedom, joy, and adventure that cycling provides using a specialty battery assisted bike that allows them to ride under the guidance of a pilot. That Capstone project finalized a Gerontology MA in 2021.

I also took kinesiology grad courses in addition to gerontology classes to help in prepare for my research study. Once I was half way to a Exercise Science MS that became the next goal. No sooner had that goal happened this past summer, I was recruited to teach an under grad anatomy class at GSU this semester.

So it has been a 10 year adventure and I am not sure it's over. I don't plan on a PHD, as I now realize research is not my cup of tea, and I can now teach at college level if that's what I want to do. I have extensive teaching experience from my previous insurance career and learned more anatomy teaching than when I originally took the course. The biggest challenging teaching for me going forward would be figuring out how to effective engage and communicate with students three generations removed from mine.

As I mentioned, this journey has been tuition free. My expenses have been minimal lab fees in a few classes, text books, transportation/parking,. My tuition costs had I been paying would have been $90,000. Sometimes being old and interested in more education has advantages.

Back to the future: growing up Catholic

 My mother was Catholic while my father grew up in a Presbyterian family. When they married the agreement was children would be raised Catholic. This was a non-issue for my father since he seemed religion ambivalent. So my brother and I grew up as Catholics. Early on I was too young so I did was I was told, and from a religious point of view my mother set the stage. First grade was spent in public school, but in 1952 a Catholic school was established in my home town. Where I should go to school became a debate between my parents as my mother wanted me at Sacred Heart while my father felt public schools were more established. My mother won that debate so Catholic school became my educational path for the next 7 years. In retrospect I wish my father had prevailed, but it was not his nature to debate religion.

During those years I accepted Catholicism as gospel without question. I did worry about my father not attending services with us, and when I asked him about that, he said, "Well, I am Presbyterian." Later on I asked why he did not go to the Presbyterian church in town, he responded, "Well, that's a southern Presbyterian church and I'm a northern Presbyterian." Later on I discovered there was a profound difference, but back then I thought he would wind up in hell since Catholics believed they were the only ones who ever wound up in heaven. When my mother started skipping church I began to have doubts about her as well. Nevertheless, I tried following the rules as best I could.

After graduating from Sacred Heart I wanted to go to a seminary to become a priest. My father won that debate by telling my mother and me, if Neil wants to consider priesthood he can explore that after high school. I think it's the only argument he ever won with my mother. Side note: if my parents ever seriously argued about things I seldom was aware of it.  Back then I thought priesthood would be cool: public speaking, helping people, a nice residence, some wine, etc. Whoops, being celibate?  My doubts had began after going to confession for years making up stuff. Now as sexual interests evolved, I confessed stuff I wasn't even sorry about. I quit going to confession or receiving communion in high school, but  attended Sunday services even after starting college.

The University of Richmond was affiliated with the Baptist Association of Virginia, and students were required to take two semesters of religious history, aka Bible. It was the old and new testament from the King James version of the bible. They were were more like interesting history courses, and I learned it was OK to question things. That was contrary to my Catholic upbringing where you were not allowed to question anything. Once I quit going to church, I began to question and rebel against Catholicism.. Everything I had experienced smacked of this is the way, the only way, and if one is not completely on board, heaven and eternal salvation are out of the question.

Both of my marriages were to Catholics. The first was in a Catholic church while the last one was a civil ceremony. At one point we thought it would be advantageous to expose my stepson to a religion. We naturally gravitated toward Catholicism. Early on I thought the church had become more enlightened, but when we explored getting married as Catholics it turned out annulling two earlier marriages required digging up long buried grudges and memories. It was also ridiculously expensive. That ended my last real exposure to any type religious faith. 

I think of myself as agnostic. I don't know if there is an after life or heaven and hell. My goal is to to life a moralistic life so I will be covered either way. I am not perfect, but I do my best. I accept many individuals thrive in their religion; it's just not something I feel necessary for me to live a worthwhile life.

Don Schaet

I met Don in early 1999 when he joined the TeamInTraining cycling team to participate in the Santa Fe Century that spring. Back then I had no idea how important that friendship would become. Don and I participated in almost 40 TNT centuries over the next 18 years. When I mentioned one of my goals was to cycle a century in all 50 states, he made it one of his life goals. The point is Don accomplished that goal while I'm still working on it.

During his time with TNT Don fund raised over $250,000 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. That's not surprising given his fund raising experience. He was an executive director for the Vietnam Veteran Memorial and Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD). Don was one of judges for the Vietnam Veteran Memorial who visited Maya Lin at Yale to advise her proposed design for the wall had been selected. He knew how to fund raise, and did it the old fashioned way with personalized letters and multiple contact lists. I remember when he volunteered to be the secretary for his college reunion as it gave him another contact list. He would rotate his many contacts and once told me folks he hadn't contacted in a while would reach out in order to donate.

We did 2 road trips to ride non-TNT centuries. The first one was riding the Zion Century in 2008. We shipped bikes to our Utah hotel, flew to Las Vegas, rented a car, and drove to the event. It was memorable for me since it was my first century on a single gear bike, but upon reflection it was the flight, windshield and cycling time with Don that was the real highlight. Same thing in 2010 when we drove to ride centuries in Illinois, Missouri, Indiana, and Kentucky. That's when I convinced Don we could claim century credit by riding into a state during a 100 mile ride versus cycling a full 100 miles in each state. On one of those rides a dog ripped Don's leg open. Since we were on a return course I rode ahead to obtain first aid material. It turned out OK, but Don made me promise not to let his wife know exactly what happened because he thought she would lobby to curtail his cycling.

Back then Don had a tendency to ride off course. It was hard for me to figure out since career military personnel normally have above average orienteering skills. Perhaps those were the very early signs of dementia. By 2015 several teammates became concerned about Don's ability to cycle a consistent line. On a training ride I made it a point to ride beside him and 12 miles into it he swerved into me, knocking me into the roadside grass, but he fell on the road taking down another teammate. I was faced with the task of discussing this with Don as we drove to a TNT event in Maryland a few weeks later. That was one of the hardest tasks I ever faced as a cycling coach. Our conversation went well, but the following year Don announced he was doing his final TNT ride in Tahoe. Don was the top national  fundraiser for that event. I think every time he did Tahoe he was one of the top fundraisers among the several thousand other TNT cyclists.

Don and his wife Gail moved to Skidaway Island around then to be closer to family in that area. The last conversation I had with Don was to advise that a long time TNT cyclist (Lynn Teague) had passed away. He had a hard time recalling her even though they had been cycling teammates and friends many years. Since then I kept up with Don through Facebook posts by his son Will and youngest daughter Claire and occasional phone conversations with his wife Gail.

Don was a retired Marine Colonel with multiple Vietnam tours. I didn't know Don during his first marriage when he and his late wife raised three children. When I met Don and his wife Gail they had adopted Claire as an infant from Paraguay a few years previously.  Claire became an aunt to Don's grandchildren, some older than her. I think there were some challenges during Claire's adolescent years, but Don and Gail faced them with her, and Claire is now happily married raising her own child (Don's newest grandson). Don had 4 children (Will, Jenny, Connie and Claire) 10 grandchildren and 6 great grandchildren.

I had been saddened about Don's health over the past few years, especially his memory loss of me as a friend. My consolation is that he is no longer suffering from the frustration dementia no doubt caused him. I am also grateful to have enjoyed a most treasured friendship over 23 years. Godspeed, Don Schaet.