I could have chosen to become an architect, interior designer, an anthropologist, a travel agent, or a photojournalist--all were once my dream. Instead, I chose the one profession that my mom, a 36 year veteran of the profession told me NOT to become--a teacher. "It's a thankless job. You won't get paid your worth. Weekends and summers off are a myth because you will always be working on improving the education and lives of your clientele." All of these arguments swayed me only momentarily. And each one very true.
As a child, I used to fantasize about building my own home. I would sketch actual floor plans and layouts on graph paper. I included all the details that anyone would want their home to have, right down to the landscaping. Had I stuck with my original choice, I may be enjoying my 'dream home' right now. Or designing beautiful high end green homes with enough saved funds to adopt and raise a slew of kids.
Another hobby I enjoyed was interior design. When my baby sis went to UNLV and rented an apartment, I jumped at the chance to decorate for her (on a college student budget no less). I gave her digs a high end look for an affordable amount. Then when she moved to a home in Vegas, she sought me to decorate that place. It led to my redesigning my mom's bedroom, living room, and her back yard & patio. And that led to my involvement in renovating my BFF's home. Had I chosen to be an interior designer, I might be living in some posh community with my own little business and up scale clientele.
As a Sagittarian, wanderlust is a huge element in my life. I remember fantasizing about traveling to distant lands. As a 6th grader, I was enchanted with Japanese culture after doing a report on the country. And after studying the ancient Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Maya, Inca and Aztecs (also in 6th grade), I wanted to experience all of those cultures. In Jr. High, I was fascinated with National Geographic and hoped one day to be an anthropologist or at the very least a photographer for the magazine. I joined the H.S. yearbook staff as a photographer. And in the 10th grade, I had the opportunity of a lifetime--to travel to a holy village in Portugal with a few other people from my church. Being exposed to another culture had me wanting more. So much so, that I took a travel agent course at an adult school.
In the end, I chose to listen to my gut. Against my mom's advise, I enrolled in Child Development courses at Cal State Northridge. I know where the need to pursue Child Development came from. It was growing up in an extended family with lots and lots of cousins and brothers & sisters. I had a beautiful, adventurous childhood and I wanted to be the BEST parent ever--like my own parents and grandparents were. I had been a nanny for our county superintendent of schools (who's wife was a professor of education at Cal Lutheran). I cared for their two children (the youngest having Down Syndrome) for 8 years. I was certain I was preparing myself for mothering a soccer team (or a basketball team at the very least). When my 16 year old sis became pregnant, I practiced the whole parenthood thing with my nephew. Since my sis was still in school, I had him during the day and went to school at night. I had my nephew so much that people thought he belonged to me.
And so here I am. A teacher with no kids of my own, but a classroom filled with the future. I have decorated some, traveled some, written and photographed some, and I have even mothered some. I am BLESSED. And at my age, I am still in the running for even more adventures in the greatest classroom of all--Life...
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