Monday, August 26, 2013

Blather and Pondering

 "It's never too late to be who you might have been." George Eliot


Took my college sophomore back to college yesterday. She's in the most awesome room (no kidding-- it's bigger than her sister's room at home!) in a beautiful part of the Kent State campus. She managed to schedule all of the classes that she needed, and has no classes on Friday. Really, could not have been smoother.

I have no pictures. She posted this one on Facebook. I'm looking into her room from the outside, which is a fairly poetic pose. She's a better mom than I am!

She has changed her major from nursing to business finance/business accounting, because she had an alarming habit of passing out in places like history class when they were discussing foot binding. This summer was hard for her, because she was home and not making any progress in her life. She wanted the future to be now.

How long has it been since you felt that way? That time just could not pass quickly enough? But I remember that so well. Right now, her dream is to run a self sufficient organic farm. I've told her the business background would help, and that while she shouldn't give up that dream, she should be aware that it might be difficult to acchieve.

I started out as a Latin major with an Ancient Greek minor, having thrown over my first idea of being a journalist, but was working very hard to become a poet. Before my sophomore year in college, I had published 15 poems, including one in Writers' Digest for which I was actually paid. My plans for the future included, among other things, a stint in the Peace Corps.

Because, obviously, they needed Latin teachers. Like everybody else.

I can't think of any career choices I could have made at 20 that would have ended with actual employment in my field of choice. Even now, when I play "what if", I can't come up with anything realistic and attainable. I want to work with Heifer International. Be involved with international business. And, perhaps, run that self sustaining organic farm. While it makes perfect sense that I am a school librarian, and I'm decent at what I do, I don't think that in a dozen chances to choose again at 20, I would have picked this as a career.

So who might I have been?

Who might you have been?

Is it too late?

Or is who we evolved to be the best "choice" after all?

11 comments:

  1. When I was 20, I wanted to be an art critic. That (obviously) didn't work out. Actually, one of my regrets was that I didn't realize that I loved books enough to want to be a librarian back then. I would have gotten a MLS a lot sooner.

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  2. Hmmmmm. So long ago. I wanted to be a singer. I didn't become one, but my daughter did, so it worked out but one generation off. Sounds like you have a great daughter as well.

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  3. I don't think we need to be confined by one career anymore. I started out as a CPA, went to business school and went into advertising. Got married and took a job in high end consulting. Now here I am exploring the passion that I had when I was kid. I am seriously considering getting a degree in library science and where that will lead I am not sure yet. I don't even remotely feel it is too late to do something new. Every job I have had prepared me to be better at the next one. So don't give up on that farm! But please keep writing your blog.

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  4. At 20 I was trying to get ready for Nursing school, it turned out to be my sisters passion and not mine. After a stint as Undeclared, my advisor recommend placement testing. This revealed that I would be good as an Undertaker, umm NO, or in a health related profession. My first Intro to Communication Disorders hooked me onto Speech Therapy. I had a great instructor.

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  5. I remember that 'waiting for your life to begin' feeling... Not fun.

    I wanted all those typical dream jobs growing up: singer, actress, and doctor (until I figured out I was a little too squeamish :-).

    Now I have my dream job (writer), but it's hard work to make a living at it. But then that's true about most dream jobs...

    I took five years of Latin in high school--I'm a wiz at translating tombstones on trips to Europe :-).

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  6. I love the idea of running an organic farm. At 20 I wanted to be a published author! Hasn't happened yet but still could.

    I'm happy to be a teacher-librarian and yet I can think of at least 10 other things that are possiblilities as well!

    Interesting thoughts. I enjoyed this post.

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  7. May I come work on the organic farm too, and have my used bookstore in the barn?

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  8. Anonymous8:27 PM EDT

    Wow, fascinating, I loved this post. Here I've been thinking I perhaps should have been a school librarian...

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  9. Ooh! Excellent idea Charlotte! You may certainly have your bookstore in the barn! We've got to come up with an awesome name.

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  10. Anonymous4:04 PM EDT

    About Ms. Charlotte's comment - how about calling it "Barns and Stables?" ;)
    I want to be a historian/museum curator/history professor, and of course a writer/author! :D

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  11. Love this kind of post! Keep blathering...

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