Skip to main content

When I grow up...

During my childhood, I was blessed to know many women who started new hobbies/careers late in life. So even now, I'll say "When I grow up, I want to..." and people, especially kids, will look at me in the strangest way.

Two years ago I had a very startling reality check that should I live to my eighties (when most healthy people in my family seem to die), then my life was halfway over. While it was shocking, it was also a very good motivator. I've started doing some things I've always wanted to do but just never seemed to have the time for.

I don't know if I will ever do any of these things, and some of them are NOT realistic at all, but here's my future career list:
  • quilt shop owner
  • restaurant owner
  • nurse, working on something like the Mercy ship
  • an author
  • a publisher
  • house supervisor at a children's home
As you can tell, I won't accomplish most of these. And that's okay. But I am VERY thankful to live in a country where educational opportunities, even for frivolous things like quilting and art and writing, do not end with formal education. We are blessed with so many opportunities. When I think of how many countries I would not even be able to read, much less write, because I am a girl, it almost takes my breath away. In college I often wondered why God blessed me so much by having me born as an American when there are so many smarter and more talented people in this world who don't even have one-fourth of the opportunities I have been gifted with. It's startling, and also makes me want to treasure every opportunity that comes my way.
Labels:

Comments

Lydia said…
Hah! My list is pretty long!
Run an orphanage or children's home
Be a foster parent
Run a nursing home
Run a mercy ranch for animals no one loves
Own a Christian coffee house and bakery with open mic night
Own a used bookstore
Have a booth at an antiques mall

They would all be called Lantern Waste. Because where there is light, there is never a waste...and because I love CS Lewis:)
January 17, 2013 at 1:17 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

things we do for love

Saturday we had a baby shower for Bobby's niece. As I was making the mints, Bobby asked what else was on the menu. After I recited off the litany of items, he responded with "No peanut butter?! This shower is for Hannah! What's she going to eat?" (Hannah has had stomach problems over the years and has been unable to tolerate many foods, but peanut butter has been her staple.) Despite my assurances that she would enjoy the foods we were having, he was adamant that I needed to make peanut butter & jelly sandwiches for the shower. Even though I protested that NOBODY took that to a shower, he persisted, and informed me I could make them dainty with my little cutter. And so I did. To my surprise all but 3 were eaten. Who'd a thunk it?
9 comments
Read more

perspectives

A few years ago after a Bible study a lot of the group continued to sit and talk and simply relax. One of the ladies felt like she was being mistreated by her boss. She was always given extra tasks or asked to assume responsibilities that no one else was asked to do. She felt it was unfair. As she was listing off some of the extras (she worked in a cafe for a plant), I was in flashback mode. My last year of college I was a shift manager at a fast food place. One of my many duties was to ensure that certain cleaning jobs (extra duties) was assigned and done properly. We were inspected by company headquarters once a quarter, and 3 of their 4 visits was ALWAYS a surprise visit. When I handed out those extra assignments, I had three things in mind: Who will do this job without making a bigger mess? Who can quickly do this job so we don't impede serving customers? Who will do this without the most drama? In essence, I wanted the best person for the job. Use the teenager who griped and c...
Post a Comment
Read more

fun...funny houses

 We saw the above house in Pittsboro while on our way to the mountains. It was the strangest house I've ever seen. Evidently this isn't a modification, for Bobby remembers thinking it funny as a child. Evidently a governor lived here at one point. I think the sign said it's now a Masonic lodge. And if seeing one funny house wasn't enough, the latest issue of This Old House had a link to their website that had several galleries of funny (or strange houses). Here's my favorites from their collection:   Szymbark , Poland  This just makes me laugh, and I would love to visit this house in person. Created by a designer who wanted to demonstrate "wrong-doings against humanity".  Visitors have stood in line for as long as 6 hours to tour the house, and many come out feeling "sea-sick".     Kalambaka, Greece... This 1,000 foot cliff drop has housed monastaries since the 11th century. Six of them are open to the public, " assuming, of course, th...
1 comment
Read more