“What is this used for?” I would ask my classes as I held up a sharpened pencil.
“You write with it!”
“You can erase your mistakes!”
“A dart!”
“A cane for a very small person!”
“It could be a weapon!” (oh my - this was an actual answer and the classed chuckled as I shook my head)
The answers kept coming.
“Well, I guess you are all correct!” I would say laughing. I reminded them that all answers must be ‘school friendly’ and they would go on and on! I would hold up something else and they would continue to get creative. It was fun to see their minds working. They were “thinking outside the box!”
As children we are so creative and imaginative. It’s fun watching little kids play pretend. Their worlds are so big and they can do anything… nothing gets in their way! If a little girl wants to be a princess - she is! If she wants to be a fireman that puts out a big fire… she does it! We can do anything!
I remember when I was a kid, I really had a dream of being on Broadway! My dad even took me to New York in 7th grade and we saw some shows. However, my dream slowly disappeared as I realized I was not a great singer and my body type was not that of a Broadway dancer. Now, I was in church choir (everyone could be in it) and had taken dance since I was a little girl, but it just didn’t seem like it was in the stars for me.This didn’t seem to be what society said I should be. What was I even thinking? How did my dreams change so quickly? I was a girl who loved school and sports…I was good at those things and that was it - I was going to be a teacher and a coach. AND that’s what I became.
Don’t get me wrong, I loved being and WILL ALWAYS consider myself a teacher! I truly think that my gift was and still is teaching! I also realized that in teaching there is a bunch of time on center stage and I could act ANYWAY I wanted. I even danced and sang some throughout the years. So in hindsight, I accomplished my dream - just not the way I thought I would when I was 12.
It is so easy to put other people in the “boxes” we think they should be in because of the way they look, act, who their family is…but let's not do that anymore! Our world is getting a bit less conservative (for my taste at times) and I think people feel like they don’t have to go down the roads society expects anymore. For so many years high schools have seriously pushed everyone going to college after graduation. NEWS FLASH MY FRIENDS…not everyone is meant to go to college! There are so many programs now that certify kids in so many things while they are still in school - cosmetology, welding, medical assistants… to name a few. I also love it that some kids take a gap year just to travel and explore!
Unfortunately, it is so easy to let others designate our paths, AND sometimes it's easier, too. It is wonderful to have mentors and people who will guide us. However, we need not to always live in the box others say we should be in- we need to jump out and live our OWN lives! We were made to do BIG things - not just one thing! You may be great at something particular, but until you try other things and activities, you won’t know that you are probably great at those things too! JUMP OUT OF YOUR BOX! We only get one chance at this life on earth and we need to make the best of it!
Have you put yourself in a box - or let others put you in one? What defines you and why do you think you belong there? Is there another direction you see yourself going? If so, what is holding you in that box? Make some goals, jump out and go for it! I believe in you!