(A non-running post just to air my mind :) )
A few days ago, my Mother announced that she was cleaning her closet out. Not news in its own right, but part of this cleaning process would involve us, her daughters, to go through all of the projects, pictures, and other memorabilia from our childhood saved since we were born and decide what to keep. Consequently, the last 3 days or so have had me sifting through album after album, drawing after drawing, deciding what, really, would be worth keeping. Not surprisingly, it's ended up being an enjoyable process, and I've learned some things about myself that are somewhat interesting :)
For instance, at the age of 4 1/2, I knew I wanted to be a teacher. Many other things have changed about me over the years, but apparently I picked up early my love of learning and of helping others. Almost every 'about me' form that I filled out from 4 onward had me mentioning teaching as a career.
I've always been someone who fixated on one certain thing (obviously, that one thing now is running :) ). In kindergarten, I got obsessed with a rabbit named Penny (on a questionaire: What would you like to have right now? A bunny named Penny. What makes you happy? Playing with a bunny named Penny. What makes you sad? When I can't play with a bunny named Penny). Later, in elementary school I proclaimed that I loved anything and everything pertaining to the musical "Little Shop of Horrors" (sort of a weird choice....). In Junior High (and this is embarrassing to admit, it was the X-Files. In retrospect, running might be the most sensible 'obsession' to date :D
I really picked up on messages told by adults and replayed them in my stories and drawings (early signs of my need to please my teachers?) From first grade, I have a drawing about the evils of doing drugs (they will make you look like the monster of Frankenstein), the necessity of always wearing a seat belt, and even a story about two ducks who can't play together because they are different colors, but who eventually make their parents see the light.
Also I wasn't always as shy as I remembered. I recieved multiple 'loudmouth' awards during my one year stint as a softball player (a sport I thoroughly sucked at. The end of the year letter about the team stated "Adelyn was our best right field played!" yeah....the ball never goes to right field....)
It's been enjoyable revisiting my past and I'll admit a simple pleasure from tossing out things that just don't matter that much any more. It's nice to feel that I can appreciate my past while still moving on. Some of the things I finally threw out were things that I've been holding onto for far too long, including a certain box of memorabilia from a relationship long ended. One of those things you hold onto, just in case (of what? I'm not sure).
Anyways, it feels wonderful to let go of all the things that were holding me to other earlier times. I've kept the things that are important, and now I have lots of room to store the momentos from the memories still to come.
2 comments:
cool post. I think we all need to clean out our closets once in a while. How cool too that you knew at such a young age you wanted to be a teacher and here you are becoming one!
Awww...that was really sweet. Sounds like you were a good student, so makes sense that the good student would make a good teacher.
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