When I Grow Up

I remember being a kid and thinking, "when I grow up I'm going to be a teacher." From the time I was in kindergarten through college I wanted to be an elementary teacher. I planned for it, I volunteered in schools, and I went college and earned a B.S. in Elementary Education (w/ a few various minors).

Well, after college you have to get a job, that is just the natural progression of life. What do you do when you realize that this career you have dreamed about, studied for, and spent THOUSANDS of dollars to qualify to do, is not the career for you? I was faced with that conundrum.

Oh, I love teaching. I love working with children, I love to be there and see their faces as they learn something new and it connects in their brain. It is so exciting to get to be part of that. I love knowing that as a teacher I'm doing my little part to help my students become the people God wants them to be.

There is another side to being an elementary teacher. You do a lot bulletin boards and artsy-craftsy stuff. I am NOT an artist and that side of teaching stressed me to tears MANY nights. The stress outweighed the joys. I hated to admit that this career that I'd dreamed about for the majority of my life was not the career for me.

So, I went back to school to become a counselor. Overall, when I grow up I want to help people. I want to be there for people when they need someone. God has given me so much, and He has put people in my life when I needed them. I know what it is like to receive love and help. Now, I want to give it back.

Counseling is a wonderful calling, and I do want to incorporate it into my life. When I get my book published I want to be able to travel to churches and conferences and talk to people about finding joy no matter what life throws at you. It is SO EASY to become bitter and unhappy. Yet, there is so much joy in the world.

As much as I want to do that, there is something else that I've secretly wanted to do my whole life, but never admitted it till today. For the first time I told someone (my sis in law) what my secret desire is. I want to be an EMT. I want to be able to use my ability to stay calm, and all the other gifts the Lord has given me, to help others in times of crisis. When I grow up I want to be an EMT. There I said it!

Now that I've admitted it to the world, it is time to grow up and go get my dream. The training may not be easy, and it will involve sacrifices, but fairy god-mothers don't exist. Everything that is worth achieving is worth putting in the effort to achieve.

What is it that you secretly want to do when you grow up? How are you going to achieve that dream?

-JP-