Man graduates at the age of 80, for the second time: "Studying saved me after the loss of my wife"
Going back to school or university after a certain age is not easy: the brain is no longer trained to learn new things every day and it can be difficult to start a new course of learning. In some cases, however, it can be a real salvation, despite all the difficulties that need to be faced. This is the case of Mr. Fernando Armellini, born in 1942, and who after many years, decided to enroll at university and try for a second degree. Why did he do this? Mainly to fight the grief he was suffering due to the death of his wife - a loss that left a vast, dark void in him, but with which he was able to come to terms with thanks to his studies.
via Repubblica
Fernando Armellini returned to attending university to start studying again - a passion he had always had ever since he was a little boy. Mr. Fernando graduated in Law during his younger years and, throughout his life, worked as a business manager in the construction and retail sectors. For 51 years, he lived with his better half who, unfortunately, died and left him all alone in the world. The pain of his wife's passing seemed insurmountable to him and forced him to ask himself the question: how does one accept, and come to terms with, the death of your spouse? Mr. Fernando had the opportunity to follow one of two paths at this point, after becoming a widower: "I had an enormous pain in my soul, which still hurts to this day. I saw myself at a crossroads: either a rapid, descent into depression; or to return to studying, which I have always bee good at".
After having become a widower, Fernando decided to enroll at the University of Trento, where he earned a master's degree in philosophy. His thesis focused on the works of the German philosopher, Günther Anders. Mr. Fernando, in his 80s, explained how he felt returning to the lecture halls and how it was to relate to the other younger students: "I entered the lecture and I felt uncomfortable: the other students mistook me for their lecturer. Apart from during Covid lockdown, I have always attended the lectures in person. I admit it was hard: I spent 10-12 hours a day studying, but I managed to finish my studies on schedule ".
In attending the lectures in person, Fernando also saw the incredible difference between the young people of today and those of the past - an observation perhaps emphasized even more by the pandemic: "The relationships between young people of today are very different - I don't see or have the feeling that I used to have in the distant past when I was attending lectures: I felt that there is so much loneliness, so much emptiness in people's lives today".
Perhaps we should reflect on Mr. Fernando's words and make some needed changes in our lives.
