while one becomes something else

"I thought back then that essentially she was not going to spend her life taking airline reservations or waitressing or what one does while one becomes something else."  

- Joy Brown, stated in "Hey Boo" a documentary about Harper Lee

A few weeks ago, around the new year, I picked up this documentary about Harper Lee at the library.  Ms. Lee wrote To Kill A Mockingbird, which was required high school reading and an excellent book.  Her friend Joy Brown made this statement about Ms. Lee and it really stuck in my mind.  It was just that little ounce of encouragement in a needed time.  I jotted it down in my notebook and it has kind of become my mantra.  

In these past few weeks, months, I have been working on becoming something else.  I am in preparation.  Uprooting my entire life requires a moment to breathe and exhale my current patch of dirt.  But everyday brings me one step closer to this change.  Part of the process is figuring out the "what one does" and I am happily getting that situated too.  Last week I started work serving at a Japanese restaurant.  After a few days of training I am getting the hang of it.  There front door said "experienced server wanted" - well, I'm not exactly an experienced server but I bucked up the gumption and asked anyway.  As it turns out they never even really asked for my experience or qualifications.  Mostly, when could I work and if I had no-slip black shoes.

I am learning sometimes it just takes standing there and being level-headed to accomplish the task.  Take for instance the other "what one does" I have had just a few stabs at: substitute teaching.  Granted I have only had exactly two half-days of experience but I do think I have learned a great deal in those two half-days.  Mostly it is about jumping in and being confident in what I say.  So I did and it was really fun.  I taught a first graders and an eight grade math class.  I'd love to have a few more rounds in the classroom.  My great-grandmother and great-great aunts were teachers and I think a bit of that must be in the blood.

Also giving me a good amount of daily encouragement is the Daily Love.  I may have mentioned it before but I am so thankful the lovely Lexi signed me up for the daily emails.  If you are interested in a daily pick me up I would recommend checking it out.