I am thankful for my educational path. It wasn’t easy but it certainly is worth it. For starters, I am thankful I have two parents who sacrificed a lot to give me the best education they could. My parents sent me to private schools until I hit college; but before you get all “huffy-puffy”, I want you to know that they sacrificed A LOT to give me the best they could…even if it near killed them! They did their very best and even paid some of my tuition while I was in school to offset the amount I would owe later on. (I STILL owe a lot!) I am forever indebted and I am very lucky that they instilled in me the value of education. In my house, it was always a priority and they pushed me to be better than I could be and always pushed me to a better version of myself, a better me than yesterday.
I was fortunate enough to choose a major that would ensure me a job. Health care is always in need of help, so it is relatively safe. I say relatively because contrary to what people think, layoffs still occur in the health care industry – ESPECIALLY with the shifting of insurances and the changes to the rules and regulations set forth. I am blessed to never have lacked for a job because hospitals work short (especially in my department). The media focuses on the shortage of nurses, but at one point in time, my discipline actually had an even BIGGER deficit than nursing….it just wasn’t as heralded and advertised. I decided to delve further into health care and pursue my dream of becoming a doctor. Long story short, I went to medical school but with only a year and a half to go, I fell just short of completing it due to personal circumstances beyond my control.
I decided to go back to work to start paying back some loans, but I still felt a yearning to go back to school. I had an epiphany (one that I’ve had before and ignored) and made the tough decision to go after my passion…sports. I loved every minute of it and wish it hadn’t ended! Now I am ready to take on the sports world….I love immersing myself in what’s going on in sports (most notably baseball). Part of me is hoping to pursue an advanced degree, but it’s going to be a LONG while before I can do that! Right now, my focus is on landing a job in my dream world. We’ll see what the future holds…
Although I am not boastful of my knowledge, I have to admit that my education makes me feel empowered. I am the type of person who doesn’t flaunt my knowledge, only use it when it’s called for, and admit when I legitimately don’t know something. I feel more informed, able to make sound decisions upon what I’ve learned and experienced, and this is something I wish a lot more people could partake in. Education is a right but is also a choice. Some don’t have the means to go to school for advanced degrees, and that’s alright. Some choose not to go to school and that’s ok, but one hopes that they made the absolute right decision for them.
Education includes what you can learn, not just from formal education, but from lie experiences as well. Some people may call it “street smarts” or “life experiences”; but whatever you call it, it’s all a part of learning. I feel that life is one big educational journey. No matter what age, what state of life, or what your surroundings are, you are always learning and assimilating whatever is in your environment – even if you don’t know it. Even when you travel for vacation, you can learn a lot! Yes you can have fun, but you can learn so much about the culture, the people, the buildings, the food, the customs….the list is endless!
When I have children, education will be a priority much like it was for me growing up. Heck, if I could, I would join them – it would be so nice to be professional student (you know, the kind that gets paid to study)….. I always joke that I’m never happy; when I was in school, I wanted to work; and when I started working, I wanted to be back in school. I am a constant learner and for that I am grateful. There’s so much to learn in the world and learning truly never stops.
Any fun or interesting stories from school? I’d love to hear about your journey!
XOXOXOXO,
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