I walked into the coffee shop wishing I had looked up this girl’s picture before I went but the day had been crazy and I just hadn’t found the time.  So I walked in, hoping I would figure it out when this lovely young woman walked up to me and asked if I was Judy.  SHE had gone on Facebook to look me up so she knew what I looked like.  I was already impressed with her.  As we sat down with our drinks an enthusiastic yet comfortable conversation began and at some point, as she was expressing some anxiety about all the newness to come, I told her not to worry, that we would figure it out together.  That’s when she surprised me by saying, “I wish I wasn’t a Type A and could be a Type B like you”.

I have to admit I was a bit taken aback because I’ve always considered myself a type A but the impression I gave apparently belied this.  Perhaps I’m beginning to learn to embrace the unexpected and my facial expressions are following.  After all these years, I’ve learned you can make all the plans you want for you and everyone else, but as Ian says in Jurassic Park, “life finds a way” to mess up all of those best laid plans.

The road in life is never a straight line, no matter how many plans you make.  Stuff happens.  At various points in my life I thought I would pursue music education, then musical theater, than accounting (yeah, I know), then back to music education, only this time in vocal music, not instrumental.  When I had children I had visions of their future, especially as I totally had their strengths figured out. All of them would go to college, be professionals, etc.  Well, I was only right about one and they’ve all gone in completely different directions than I would have anticipated in just about every aspect of their lives.

When I finally began teaching, I was just certain I would do this forever, but as always, life wants to make a turn.  I saw a quote put up by a former student teacher which spoke truth to me.  I’ve included it in this blog.  I’ve had the opportunity to do some things lately that have told me without a doubt why I’m here.  The question is, do I have the nerve to take a different path in order to make this warm glow a reality?  That takes planning of course, but it also takes being aware of that little voice that gives you hints and directions along the way.  Again, learning to deal with the unexpected in order to experience life.

There is a sense of urgency now that I haven’t experienced before.  The last 20 or so years of my life seem to have passed by very quickly.  The next 20 will also.  By then I better have followed those detours I’ve heard that little voice tell me about or my dreams won’t stand a chance of coming to fruition.  Time is the unknown factor as recently I’ve seen young people dying, and have seen people I’ve known for many years reach that time in their lives where they physically can’t do all the things they once could.  If I’m really wanting to take a new path, now is the time.  I’m not sure I want to maintain this so-called Type A personality.  I would rather be the Type B and just love what I do, being in the flow of where I was meant to be.  Embracing that little voice in my life and with it, the unexpected.