Still Lost

I have a disability. I get lost. Were this a certified special education disability, my IEP would include an accommodation which includes personal driver to transport me everywhere. This disability has caused me numerous late appointments, frantic phone calls to my husband, and sheer frustration for anyone who drives with me. I’ve used gas station attendants, mapquest, and other people to help me navigate. For Christmas last year, my husband bought me a GPS. Am I the only person with a GPS that still gets lost? I have put in the right address but wrong city. The GPS voice (I named him “Sergio”) has told me many times, “You have reached your destination” even though I am surrounded with only corn fields. These trips have often times ended with finding a dive restaurant I would have never visited, meeting some very interesting people at truck stops, and sometimes just wasted gas.

Getting lost with a map–the story of my life.

So many people have asked me over the years, “What do you want to do?” ”What are your career aspirations?” ”Do you want to be a principal, professor, superintendent?” I answer, “I don’t know.” Not because I want to be elusive or even seem like I don’t have a plan, but really I don't know. I believe in opportunity. I believe you enjoy where you are at on the way to where you are going, even if you don’t know exactly where the end destination may be. I believe that narrowing your focus hinders you from possibilities. There are times when navigating and having a plan are necessary or nothing would get done; however, I believe those plans should be written in pencil. Thinking back over the years, I remember picking out my high school classes with my mom as she tried to help me pick a “career.” There were only two things I wanted, 1) to dress nice for work 2) be an expert. My work allows me both of these most of the time.

As I talk to people, many times they don’t know where the next move is going to take them. There is apprehension and a sense of insecurity in not knowing. My advice: the not knowing is fine as long as you are moving in a direction and taking steps to better your life, staying stagnate is the only thing that can destroy your future. Keep moving forward in your thinking, in your objectives, in your car…and you will get there…even if you don’t have a map!