As humans I believe that we tend to live life in a box. We live in what I call our “comfort zone”, a place where we feel safe about ourselves and our surroundings. Sometimes, in life, it is necessary for us to get on the outside of that box. It might be a first day at a new job, moving to a new town, or just experiencing something that you never have before. This is a time in our lives when we might have to say to ourselves, like they sang in the video, “ I think I can, can, yes I can, can, I know I can,can”.
In my life I have had a few opportunities to get on the outside of that box. After graduating high school I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with my life. I had a steady boyfriend and wasn’t really thinking about college. So instead I took a job at TRW, an automotive plant, at the age of 19. I started out there as an assembly operator and continued doing that for ten years. Then one day a posting came up for an assembly lead person, a step under the supervisor. Many of my co-workers thought I should sign up for the job, but I was so comfortable doing what I had been doing, should I step out of that box?
As it turned out I did step out of that box only to enter another one. For fifteen more years I was employed at TRW, until last April when they told us the plant would be closing in October. Throughout my twenty five years there we had raised our kids and become used to our lifestyle. Now at the age of forty four I would be taking a huge step out of that box.
Initially my thoughts were “now what am I going to do with my life?”. The only option that made any sense was to go back to school. But what should I go into? As a younger person I had a few experiences with fainting in hospitals, so when I decided to take the Certified Nursing Assistant program at Western, my family thought I was nuts. They thought I would be on the floor more than I’d be standing. It was my chance to prove to myself and to them that I could do it. Of course there was more on my mind than just fainting, what about actually taking care of people, could I do it? The days before I had my first clinical I had second thoughts, and I had to keep telling myself, “I think I can”.
The six weeks went by and I passed the course and became a CNA. What an accomplishment for myself. It hadn’t been easy going from a factory employee to student. I had to learn how to study again and taking tests was something I wasn’t used to. This would end up being a stepping stone to what was next in my life.
Just in the last three weeks I have taken the biggest step I’ve had to take in my life so far, starting at Western as a full time student at the age of forty four. In these days I know I’m not the only adult who has to start over, many of us have lost our jobs only to find much better things awaiting us. I do believe things happen for a reason, I’m just waiting to find out what that is. I hope to take one more step out of my box and that is to start my new career as an Occupational Therapy Assistant.
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I really liked this post, I haven't been to school in over twelve years and can completely understand the feelings of forgetting things and how to take tests again. I had such an anxiety about coming back that i almost said "forget it." Like you said though sometimes we just need to just step outside that box, and now that I have I am seeing that new doors are opening up to me and I just have to choose which one I will take. Good luck in Occupational Therapy!
ReplyDeleteAll I can say is wow, and good luck. Sounds like you are a very motivated individual and that you really want to persuit something that you really want to do. I think this is great, and you should be proud of yourself for actually being able to take that step toward doing the next best thing. I know there are alot of people out there that just think that there is no way they can go back to school when in reality if they took a look around them and commited to just doing it and getting it done and out of the way they might realize it is the best path for them also.
ReplyDeleteWow your really stepping out of your comfort zone, i couldn't imagine having a job for 25 years then getting laid off and having to go back to school to get another job. I think you are doing something that a lot of people wouldn't do and i give you props for that. Good luck in the future and to answer your question on my blog i do watch the amazing race i would love to actually be on that show and travel around the world.
ReplyDeleteI think it's really awesome that you decided to go back to school and prove to everyone, including yourself, that you could do it! A lot of the adults that have lost their jobs either just take an early retirement (if they can...)or just go out and find another job doing something else, rather than going back to school and figuring out something that they really want. So kudos to you and good luck!
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