A Second Try

Bands of diffused light

Reaches from the living sun

To touch our faces.

 Thursday, August 12, 2021

 I never set out in life to be a role model, but that seems to have been my fate.

 For 25 years I was an elementary school teacher. I didn’t start out wanting to teach, but as with many of my fellow liberal arts majors looking for gigs, adding on the additional year it takes to earn a teaching credential while we figure out what we want to do seemed like a better option than continuing in the economic dregs of retail.

 The years just kept adding up and while I never experienced that “I found my calling” moment, I did feel I grew competent enough in the job to keep at it.

 Part of what goes into teaching is knowing that you’ve got 20/30 children looking at you everyday to see how you’re handling yourself and others under all kinds of circumstances. And in that respect, I thought I did a decent job of developing an environment of trust and affection. And that goes a long way in making teaching both enjoyable and honorable.

 Now in my second career as a program guide at a high-end wellness center, I have again stumbled into a job that has placed in the position of role model.

 At 63 I am older than almost all our guests and for many reasons I am in generally better shape than most. Often that means I’m held up as an exemplar of the program. But although I do believe there are many positive aspects to our program, it’s not how I got to where I am.

 But I don’t mind.  I do feel it’s rewarding to be admired for my health. It’s not nearly the burden I felt while teaching and it prods me to continue to look after myself.