Bear Stuffing and Children Watching

I think everyone has a plan or idea of what their future will be like.  Why we hold onto these ideas with such a firm grip I'll never know since the projected future is rarely a reality.  Life holds so many dead ends, new roads, etc. that one could never predict.  My last blog posts were from nearly 4 years ago.  Looking back I have realized that my life, which seemed normal at the moment, has taken me on a course that was never charted.  But it's been wonderful and changed me in ways I never would have thought possible.  And so... from this reflection I can see that life cannot be our projected realities.  If so... how would we improve and change and become better versions of ourselves?  We would never grow because everything would be predictable and in our own hands.  The beauty of life is learning how to travel the unknown... learning how to chart our own path in our own individual unexplored wold.  Listed below are the unexpected events that have occurred in the past 3 years that have altered my life beyond my idea of where the future would take me.  And looking back I can see that each of these events built on the past making me a stronger person.

1.  Working at West Marine:  West Marine is a store that sells boat parts.  I have never worked on a boat and have ridden on 1 boat in my life.  Enough said.  Needless to say I learned how to say, "Let me go get my manager" ... and how to keep people entertained with boat talk while we waited for the boat expert.

2.  Peer Mentor:  I used to be shy.  However... being in charge of 80 freshman and speaking in front of all of them changed that quickly.

4.  Living in Monticello Apartments:  To move in I had to camp out to get the apartment... with people I had never met before.  I also moved in with 4 girls I had never met before.  Talk about getting out of your comfort zone.  However.... because of this I have met some of my best friends that I know I will have for the rest of my life.

6.  Telefund:  Have you tried calling people for donations?  It's an interesting experience let me tell you.  But boy did it teach me about making conversation with difficult people.   And the importance of thinking of other people and their needs.  Also it taught me a new appreciation for telemarketers   It did.

2.  Build-a-Bear:  I stuff bears currently.  I get to make children, adults, couples, etc. happy.  Have you ever tried stuffing an octopus?  You have to remember to stuff all eight legs!  That is hard!  This job has taught me how to keep a smile on your face at all times.  It has also taught me that people are more similar than you would think.  I have seen so many different types of people in the store just wanting to build a bear for a loved one.  It's a beautiful thing. :)

5.  Teaching:  I have successfully learning how to control a class of 22 first graders.  Sound easy?  Try it sometime.  :) I have also learned that it's impossible not to love these little people.  I will never forget the impact they all made on my life for good.

In conclusion, I'm excited to see what comes next.  And I hope in four years I can look back and say that I've become a better person then I am now.