This is the impact you had on my life, it’s an excerpt from my personal essay, which was required as part of my application into the College of Education:

Upon thinking of a profound learning experience in my life, my initial thought was to write about my father teaching me to read when I was four years old. It was a supremely liberating experience because I was no longer dependent on my siblings to read the Sunday comics to me. It was also the first step in my journey to being a teacher: from that experience grew my desire to learn more and share what I learned, which transitioned into a desire to teach. The experience was indeed profound, and though it set me on my life course, a more profound experience would present itself twenty years later.
I applied for a sales position at a locally owned luggage store, and was hired by a woman named Susan Ideus. Her enthusiasm was infectious and she had a knack for creating excitement around the most mundane things. We developed a strong working relationship and before long, Susan was grooming me for management. I had not considered management; I simply wanted a low stress job while I was going to school. It started innocently enough; Susan would share with me sales results, strategic planning, buying and pricing strategies, and anecdotes about her previous retail experiences. In retrospect, I think Susan was trying to determine my level of interest in the business workings of the store. I would share with her some of my ideas about selling or we would discuss how to be more effective with customers, and I expressed interest in developing a training system for the store. When the owner decided to open another store, Susan convinced me to manage the new store.
Opening and managing the new store was a terrific learning opportunity for me, and between Susan’s years of retail management experience and the owner’s business acumen, I learned quite a lot about business. More important, however, is what I learned from Susan. I worked with Susan for several years, and had the opportunity to watch her interact with customers and employees, and I reflected on how she interacted with me. She was genuine and present with every person she engaged. She asked questions to elicit information about what a customer needed, or what experience a new employee was bringing to the team. She particularly valued the experiences employees brought with them because she would then help them further advance their skills by building on an established foundation. She created a safe environment in which to work and learn, and both were fun because of her enthusiasm and interest for those around her and for her work.
I adore my father, in many ways I strive to be like him, and I am forever grateful to him for giving me the gift of literacy, but I want to model how I teach after Susan’s example. I think it is essential to remember that our students come into the classroom with their own experiences, and it is our duty as educators to not only honor their experiences, but to also build on those experiences to create more meaningful learning moments for our students. Susan wanted to know what I knew, what interested me, and what my areas of opportunity were. She let me know that what I said and did was important, and she fostered my continued growth by reinforcing the value of my contributions or by caringly suggesting possible improvement. She adapted herself as necessary to the people around her so that she may better serve them, thusly creating a meaningful, genuine bond. These are the characteristics I aspire to model as an educator.

Never, ever think you didn’t make an impact on lives! Ask any of the girls who worked for you about the good example you set for them, both as employee and as a woman. Sitting here right now, I can count past my fingers how many girls (who are now women) who would likely say you had an impact on their lives! And that’s just in your adopted life as a retail manager–your presence in church and family adds much more.

I’m learning that there’s usually a gap between the impact we intend to make and the impact we actually make. And most often, the actual impact is better than we ever imagined.

Certainly, settling isn’t the aspiration we hope for, but I think you’re right in that sometimes it is where we might have been meant to be.

I’m currently on spring break, and I’m reworking my garden in my backyard (I discovered I love gardening). I was looking up some plants I thought I might like when I thought I would “Google” your name (just for fun). God moves in mysterious ways, right? Here I am, commenting on one of your blogs that is extremely apropos.

I hope all is well with you and Harold, and I promise I’ll contact you in a more personal way very soon - hopefully the numbers I have for you will lead to your voice.

Warmth & Happiness,
Annette

Marti

But your post reminds me of another wonderful thing about these virtual communities we’ve formed in SCN. Imagine my delight when I receive a postcard, direct from Ireland (the ONE place I must go before I die), from one of your circle members. You make friends in these circles, but it’s amazing to me how readily these circles expand to those around you. That is a true testament to the power of unconditional love that we find in friends.

In “Who is Sue”, you mention your heart’s landcape as New Mexico. What is Harold’s heart scape? Perhaps, they are one and the same - New Mexico. Is it possible to first get to the place of your heart and then await your calling? Sometimes, the misery of having to work at unfullfilling jobs is lessened by living in the right place. Oftentimes, we must make the most profound change in our life, in order for “the call” to step into our hearts. I wish you joy and hope in your search.

Blessings, Marti