Thursday, October 27, 2011

On the Road Again

My earliest memory is sitting on my big girl bed with my back against the wall.  My legs outstretched, not even close to reaching the edge of the bed.  I sat, grasping in my tiny  little hands a book full of beautiful pictures and even more beautiful to me, full of words.  I was four years old and in love with storytelling.  My preschool teacher, Mimi, was so great at sharing wonderful places and she took me to those places with books.  She would gather us around her on the big colorful carpet and we would all sit eagerly awaiting to be taken on the next exciting adventure.  I decided I too wanted to be able to go on adventures no matter where I was.

The first book I read

I would sit there in my spot on the bed and practice my storytelling, reading aloud; anxious to see whether or not Janet would get those new shoes she had been wanting.  My parents were busy doing things around the house.  When I came upon a word I did not know I would stop one of them as they were whizzing by my bedroom door, point to a word in the book and ask what the word was, they would say it aloud and be on their way.  I would repeat it and continue on with my story.  By the time I was ready to start kindergarten I could read that book.  I did not just memorize the story, but could read the words on the page.  I was so excited about what I could now do; enter new places all on my own.  My kindergarten teacher recognized my newfound love for reading and allowed me to read a book to my kindergarten class.  I earned a certificate for reading a book aloud and to this day it is one of the things I am most proud of. 


I say all this to say that I just realized I should have listened to my four-year-old self all along to figure out what career would suit me best.  Ultimately, in the grand scheme of things, I feel that there is some act of fate that plays a part in our lives.  Fate sets us out on a main pathway and allows us the freedom to take detours every once in a while; providing opportunities to make mistakes and hopefully learn from them, take risks and hopefully benefit from them.  After following my path for the last 29 years and taking detours here and there, I finally feel as though I am back on my main road.  For the first time in my life I feel excited and hopeful about where I want to be in regards to my career and that's teaching others how reading analytically and writing well can transform their lives. It's been a while, but I sure am glad to be back on the main road.



What this power is I cannot say; all I know is that it exists and it becomes available only when you are in that state of mind in which you know exactly what you want and are fully determined not to quit until you find it."        - Alexander Graham Bell


Peace, Love, & Nerdy Stuff