What do you want to be when you grow up?
We all are asked that when we’re little girls and boys. Most of us reply with doctor, lawyer, professional this, professional that, etc. Then, we all go onto college and we decide those things are too hard or we become way unmotivated and we settle for other jobs. This isn’t the case for everyone, but I think for most people it is. Because of this, I’ve been so motivated my whole life to find something that I love. And crap, now that college is here… it’s all a reality for me and many of you I’m sure.
But yes, I’ve finally found it. And each day, it is confirmed to me more and more that what I want to do with the rest of my life is perfect for me. What is it? An American Sign Language Interpreter. Ever since I was a junior in high school, I took classes and fell in love with the language right away. From then on, I told people I was going to interpret for a living but I never knew if that’s what was truly right for me. But this year in level three, we are required to attend many Deaf activities and write about them. Through this experience, I’ve learned how much I love the Deaf community and that I want to be of service to them and continue to learn of their culture and become the best interpreter that I can possibly be. Plus, learning another language is the best. Going to Deaf events and just signing away is one of the greatest feelings ever. So now I know what I want to do with my life and I know I’m going to enjoy it.
I don’t think there is anything that should stand in your way of happiness, especially your job. The wonderful thing is, we all have the power to be WHATEVER we want to be. While we have no control over our families, our circumstances, etc., we have the power over our education and over our futures. So, why not make them awesome? Why not do what you love every day for the rest of your life? Getting there will be hard work. It will take semesters and semesters of school and sleepless nights, but once you get there… it’ll all be worth it. I keep telling myself that every day.
So what will you do with your life? Will you make it something that you love to do? I sure hope so. I hope you don’t choose a profession just because it may be lucrative and such. I hope you choose it because you love it. Tia Stokes is a perfect example. She didn’t open The Vault to make money, she opened The Vault to give Kalamity a home and because she truly just loves to dance. She’s given us a place that we truly feel comfortable and she gets to live and breathe it every day. And guess what? Life is not about how much money we can make and how many things we can buy.
And one more thing that’s on my racing mind. Many girls that I come in contact with, they all say that they don’t want to go to college or develop their talents because they are just going to get married and no longer worry about getting an education. Please oh please, what a perfect world would that be? But, we don’t live in a perfect world. I’m not saying every single girl must get a master’s degree and be a career woman, but I hope we can become educated, talented, and useful women in society. Because women can make a difference… call me a feminist. I don’t care. But you can’t always depend on men to provide for you… you’ve got to take care of yourself.
Yeah, I’m done writing now. I just had all sorts of blunt things to say.
Always smile,
A.Ford
Alexa Brent 