It Might

My search for a career, and ideally a meaningful one that lines up with every possible personality characteristic I possess as revealed by every possible means of testing, continues. As much as anyone else who knows about my search, I would like to just settle on something and stop my navel-gazing but I want to make sure that I get it right. And if I actually settled on something, I'd have to do something other than live the somewhat self-indulgent lifestyle I lead right now. Yikes!

Anyways, one area in which I have sometimes felt very strongly that I should work is with young students with learning challenges. I first felt this pull when I was a child and I knew someone with challenges. I have felt this pull since then in some situations with special learners and I have also thought, and not just felt, that I would like to make a difference.

The other night, I gave this matter some serious thought. I came up with one question that I couldn't answer right away. It made me a little sad and I questioned whether maybe I'm just very cynical. I had to answer whether I truly believed that I could make a difference to children in the long run. Maybe kids who are troubled will end up troubled anyways. Maybe I can't change the course of their lives. Maybe it's hopeless?

I visualize my approach to parenting as throwing some kind of glop at a wall and hoping it sticks (my poor son). I mean this is in the best possible way - I try to give him very good material but you can never be sure what will take hold. I suppose this applies in helping other children as well.

I thought some more and came up with the only answer I know to the question of whether or not my influence can make a difference. The answer: It might.

Nothing's certain yet with my plans but I find my answer to that question hopeful enough.

JAHD