Reinventing myself

At the tender age of 17 I had to decide what it was I was going to do with my life. I had no idea, so I applied for a bunch of things. Not smart enough to be a brain surgeon and too emotional to pull myself through an occupational therapy interview, and not allowed to do nothing, nursing opened it's sterile hospital doors and welcomed me in with gloved and gowned arms.

Off I went to earn a degree. To make something of myself. Out in the big wild world. And I was good. No, seriously. I was awesome. I was amazing on duty and excellent academically. I could have won my degree if it had been a competition for best nurse. It wasn't, but I still got a fancy dictation at my graduation. And so I qualified with my university begging for me to come back the following year. I declined the invitation - I thought it would be a good idea to focus my attention on my newly acquired husband.

I have often wondered what difference all the accolades and accomplishments made. In truth, nothing. I wasn't paid more. I didn't have better job offers. It was all pretty much just a nice little plaque in my memory. And nursing? Well, it just kind of happened to me. And now I am ready to shake off that career and try something a little different.

8 years later I am seriously questioning what it is I really want to do. Even now I'm not quite sure what I want to be when I'm big. But, I'm more likely to make a better think of it than I did at 17, right? This time around I can be sensible and practical. I can make a more intuitive decision regarding capital creation compared to self fulfillment, finding the delicate balance between the two. (There is no way that nursing completely fulfilled either criteria for me, but then, what did I know about that when I was a teenager?)

I am feeling highly positive for me about pursuing new territories and staking a claim of the professional pie, so to speak. And at the same time, I fear so for the young people who have to decide at a very tender age what they are going to be. Life is a tricky affair, and while some kids may be ready to decide what direction they will follow as they leave school, the rest should be told that it's actually ok to do something now, and change it for something else later. Don't you think?