Anna Quindlan is leaving Newsweek magazine, she feels it's time let younger people have a shot at her spot in the world. Either she is leaving of her own accord, or she is experiencing a life transition because it is time. So, we readers are having to transition as well.
Everywhere I look right now I see transitions. I'm preferring not to call it CHANGE, the election season of '08 made that particular word ubiquitous - so I'll talk about transition here. Actually, I think it's a better word for what I am seeing and experiencing.
We just transitioned a college son back into our home - more specifically to his old room. Which had become my office. This led to my desk needing to be moved into what had become the husbands office, formerly my older sons bedroom. This, in turn, caused the husband to convert an armoir in the den into a computer cabinet/desk for himself; his beloved roll-top desk that I never cared for had made its way into the former bedroom of older son - and now doesn't work well anywhere in the house. The roll-top is now for sale - actually, I'd pay someone to get it out of here at this point. This is my current, most immediate transition. Today happens to be college sons birthday, emotional transition.
I'm traveling a lot these days for my job, which I really enjoy. However, the husband is traveling less and is now home more than I am and this is new for us. This has been a rockier transition for me, really don't know how he views it, I'm sort of scared to ask.
Our minister, Roger, is retiring - and he's really working hard to ease us into this transition. We've got to let him go in order to make room for the new guy. We've had a year of parties, sermons, dinners, guest preachers, you name it - to prepare for this. He should feel that he is leaving us well and okay, he's done a great job. New guy starts in August and collectively, we're looking forward to it because Roger has given us permission - transition can go forth.
As wise people have said, the only thing you can be sure of is change. Transition is the way we move from one thing to another. This word is one that all of us would be good to learn to love and accept, because it's sort of life's essence - change and transition.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Saturday, May 9, 2009
I Wish I Were A Better Person
Queen Noor was the headliner at a fund-raising luncheon for a local, very admired women's shelter in my town. She was simply wonderful - very real, sincere, candid and grounded - you feel like you could sit around the kitchen table and have a cup of coffee with her. Sort of the way I used to feel about Oprah, who is wonderful, but certainly not a 'Queen'. And seemingly not as in touch with reality as she once was but that is another topic.
The executive director of this particular group is a force-of-nature in her own right; she just does not get to carry the 'Queen' title. Her enthusiasm for this organization has never wavered - she is older than I am and I envy her amazing energy. I met her last year, actually interviewed with her for a job as marketing director for the non-profit. She gave me her time, took me on a tour through the shelter, and basically told me I was ridiculously over-qualified - which was very true of my skills but not of my self-image at that time. She let me off the hook - I would have eventually become miserable in that job; what would have initially begun out of an altruistic heart would have ended with much frustration and disappointment. I think I was attracted to the passion I hear coming out of non-profit work, especially when I found myself at a crossroads in my career and my life. What I discovered was that what I really needed at that time was a vacation, not a major career change.
Now I'm on the board of a small non-profit that I am really excited about. It is a program that prepares mostly women to learn enough English to get into a GED program. The director of this non-profit is also amazing - another force of nature. She has ideas and creativity unlike anything I've ever seen - probably very much like the gal I described above but about 30 years younger.
I don't think I have ever had the sort of high powered energy and focus I see in either of these two women. And experiencing the younger one and the older one, I really think you're born with this energy and drive - maybe it's not a specific or well formed idea, but people like this just don't know how to 'sit around'. They do things - big things. Some go into business and use those skills to make money, some go into government and figure out the system early on so they can become leaders; and some hear the call of the non-profit world and lead those of us who just hope that through their example we will become a better person.
And that would be me.
The executive director of this particular group is a force-of-nature in her own right; she just does not get to carry the 'Queen' title. Her enthusiasm for this organization has never wavered - she is older than I am and I envy her amazing energy. I met her last year, actually interviewed with her for a job as marketing director for the non-profit. She gave me her time, took me on a tour through the shelter, and basically told me I was ridiculously over-qualified - which was very true of my skills but not of my self-image at that time. She let me off the hook - I would have eventually become miserable in that job; what would have initially begun out of an altruistic heart would have ended with much frustration and disappointment. I think I was attracted to the passion I hear coming out of non-profit work, especially when I found myself at a crossroads in my career and my life. What I discovered was that what I really needed at that time was a vacation, not a major career change.
Now I'm on the board of a small non-profit that I am really excited about. It is a program that prepares mostly women to learn enough English to get into a GED program. The director of this non-profit is also amazing - another force of nature. She has ideas and creativity unlike anything I've ever seen - probably very much like the gal I described above but about 30 years younger.
I don't think I have ever had the sort of high powered energy and focus I see in either of these two women. And experiencing the younger one and the older one, I really think you're born with this energy and drive - maybe it's not a specific or well formed idea, but people like this just don't know how to 'sit around'. They do things - big things. Some go into business and use those skills to make money, some go into government and figure out the system early on so they can become leaders; and some hear the call of the non-profit world and lead those of us who just hope that through their example we will become a better person.
And that would be me.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
