I have been trying to re-connect with some friends with whom I’ve lost contact. That started me thinking about how I was when I was in my early twenties. I was out to change the world. I was going to make a difference. I was different than (or is it different from) everyone else. I had dreams delusions of being THE great somebody who was world famous for doing things. I was going to be world renowned. Ah well, life intervened.
I discovered that I am the type of person who thrives in the background. I am more than willing to let someone else get sticks thrown at them have all the limelight. I’m okay with speaking in front of a group or teaching a class of 35, but I would rather let someone else make all the hard decisions and be the person out front. Part of that is because I’m an introvert, but part is because I get a great deal of satisfaction when someone I have helped excels.
I find my life changing moments in the small successes I have had when teaching someone a new skill and they understand it and apply it. I met a women the first term I taught college who was really worn down by life. She spoke like a country girl, had teeth that needed some care, wore old mostly worn clothes and hair that needed a make over. She did not know how to use a PC, had never held a mouse without fur, was shy to the point of it being painful to watch. All of her teachers encouraged her, we worked extra to build up her confidence. Her husband saw some changes in her and he started to support her goals. Almost 2 years after I met her an attractive woman, well made up, new stylish clothes, one of those “makeover” kind of hair cuts and colors came up and said hello to me. I knew the voice, but not the woman. I will not take credit for her change, she made the changes. My part was helping her work through her frustration and to keep telling her that she could succeed.
Today, I don’t look to change the world, but I do want to make a small difference in a few people’s lives. I want to feel like I helped make this life a little more bearable for one or two people just because I took the time to encourage them to not give up.
If you like my ramblings, I encourage you to pass them along. I do still have a dream of being a full time blogger/writer. Every follower helps me get closer to that goal.
The Purposeful Geek 