Getting to Know Myself

Fourteen years ago, when I was picking a college major (FOURTEEN YEARS AGO!!! I’M AN OLD WOMAN!), it was between English and Marriage, Family, and Human Development.  I chose Marriage, Family, and Human Development.  I am so glad that I did.  I really did love every single one of my major classes and, even though I don’t remember a ton of it, learned things that hopefully helped and will help me in my career as a wife and mother.

But, as they say, education is wasted on the young.  (I actually spent an entire day thinking that I had made up that saying.  Then I began to doubt my ability to be profound and Googled it.  It wasn’t me.)  I think it’s unfortunate that people have to decide what they want to study and what they want to do with their lives at ages 18-22.  You don’t even really know yourself yet, ya know?

(And I have a theory on those career tests.  I think they may work for some people, but I think a lot of people don’t really know themselves, so they may answer how they think they feel about something instead of how they actually – maybe even subconsciously – feel.  For example, at 18-years-old, I probably would’ve said that I like to work with and help people, because I thought I did.  It wasn’t until years later that I discovered that I’m not really a fan of “being around people” and I am way better suited for independent work with very little social interaction.  )

ANYWAY, I’m just saying that over the last ten years of life I’ve discovered many new things about myself that my little college self could’ve never known. 

1.  I like to sort things.  Like, I really like to sort things.  Like to a Rainman-ish degree.  We ordered a used Risk game on eBay (did you know they don’t make Risk games with the army figures anymore?) and when it arrived, all of the different colored army guys were all mixed together in one container.  There were at least 100 tiny guys.  Kobe was very excited about the game and said, “I’ll sort the army guys!”  It took every ounce of love and patience I had that day to say, “……okay.”  It was so hard.  I wanted to sort those army guys so, so bad.  But what can I say?  I’m just one of those moms who sacrifices every happiness for her children.  I love to sort the boys’ Legos.  I love to sort my scrapbook paper.  I sometimes even sort things that are out of place at stores.  I don’t know what kind of job or career requires a love of sorting.  (Librarian, maybe?)  But if I could figure it out, I’m sure I could have a lot of job satisfaction.

2.  I love to make costumes.  I wouldn’t say I love sewing.  I don’t think I love sewing.  But sewing is a means to an end.  And the end is a costume.  Halloween usually stresses me out because there are so many demands all at once.  But give me a themed party or a school project that requires a costume and I pretty much think about it 24/7.  Recent example:  Luke’s 3rd grade class was having a wax museum where they all became different historical characters.  Luke was Wyatt Earp.  I studied Wyatt Earp and what he looked like/wore like I was a costume designer for an Oscar winning film.  And when I finished with his costume, I was so tempted to contact his teacher and ask if anyone else needed help with their costume.  But I knew my family hadn’t eaten in four days, so I didn’t make that call and started feeding my family instead.  But, oh, the satisfaction I get by seeing a completed costume!

(Luke’s original mustache was a kind of expensive blondish one because Wyatt Earp actually had blondish hair.  But it required special costume tape that Luke couldn’t figure out himself so we went with the simple, cheap black one. I made my peace.)

3.  I love to be on the computer.  I love to create things on the computer.  But how was I supposed to know that fourteen years ago?  Computer programs weren’t nearly as accessible or widespread as they are now.  I’m pretty sure I would’ve loved learning and studying something like graphic design, but I was born just a tad too early to be as exposed to computers as I needed to be to know this about myself. (That sentence is all over the place.)

4.  I love to improve things.  I’m not the greatest at coming up with original ideas.  But I love to take an existing idea and improve it.  What is this?  Like, in the career world?   If someone came up with a board game idea, I could listen to the concept behind the game and improve it.  I could look at the design of the board and improve it.  If someone made a restaurant menu, I could improve it.  If someone set up chairs for a meeting, I could rearrange them and improve the room.  If someone came up with an idea on how to direct stadium traffic after a football game, I could improve it.  Is this not unusual?  Can everyone do this?  Maybe this whole paragraph is just code for me being extra critical of the world around me.  But I’m pretty sure there is a job out there for people like me.

These are just some of the many things I have learned and am still learning about myself.  I still would never change what I studied in school.  But I do love getting older and discovering these new things about myself.