I recently signed up for a class at the Unversity near my home. I didn’t sign up for computer classes that would further my professional goals or writing classes that would further my personal goals. Instead, I signed up for Tai Chi and Meditation classes. For about $8 a class I drive over to the University and spend 1 1/2 to 2 hours in a quiet gym with a whole spectrum of strangers. Many of the participants are University employees or graduate students. There were a couple of undergraduate students in the first class, but it seems they have all dropped out by now. I have to rush home from work to get to class on time, which can be a bit hectic and stressful. It’s actually pretty funny how stressed I get, in part because the classes themselves are meant to alleviate the stress in my life. So far the classes have been a fairly inexpensive way to learn something new and meet new people.