As I look back on my life, I see that there have been very few times when I felt a profound loss of dignity for myself. That said, I feel that losing a job I worked for 26 years has had a serious impact on my pride, as well as my sense of identity and security. As I pondered my seemingly bleak options, I became somewhat depressed. It was getting harder and harder to get myself out of bed and to work each day. I was not productive during my stay, and when I returned home in the evening, I could only prepare dinner for my family and then go to bed. I gained weight, gave up on my appearance, and lost all my enthusiasm for the things I loved. Until then, I hadn't realized how much my self-esteem and identity were tied to my work. When I made the decision to go back to school, it was like coming out of a void. I had lost my old identity but was (and am) on the path to a completely new one. My new perspective as a student brought me a lot of pleasure as well as a great ego boost. If I had known 29 years ago what I know today, this trip would have happened much earlier! ​​It is these feelings and concepts that have helped shape my sense of security. When I started my classes at OKCCC last year, I was terrified! How could I keep up and/or compete with people who, in many cases, were less than half my age? I just didn't know if it was possible. The first weeks of classes were mind-boggling. I found myself questioning everything I did. I had to cover topics 3 and 4 times to make sense of them. These parts of my brain had become so atrophied that it took everything I had to reactivate these synapses! Once they started to... middle of paper ...... my life and follow it until the end. It's a very powerful feeling. As for leisure, I can't do without it anymore! It's a necessary part of my life. It gives me the opportunity to reconnect with my family. During the week we tend to disperse in our different directions, but on the weekends we come closer to each other. We go out of our way to do something we all enjoy. This usually involves a concert hall or a trip to the bookstore. On a good weekend, you can combine the two and listen to music at the bookstore. My husband is a wonderful (in my humble opinion) singer-songwriter and I love listening to him when he plays around town. When I think about these seven human needs, I realize how basic they all are. No matter where or when you live, these are the ideals we hold dear. What amazing creatures we humans are!