A Younger Fish Asks An Older Fish...

In high school, I chose to be a teacher. I listened to my intuition. I listened to my heart. Most importantly, I listened to my mom's words of wisdom "Do what you want to do. You have the power to create and do anything."

But what happens when we are on this chosen path and desire begins to fizzle? What happens when your heart begins to says, "Now what?" or your mom asks you at Thanksgiving, "Are you happy"?

I was watching one of my favorite Pixar movies with my 5th grade class the other day, Soul. If you haven't seen it, watch it ASAP. There is a scene where a character says "A younger fish swims up to an older fish and says 'I'm looking for the Ocean.' The older fish says 'Ocean? That's what you're in now.' The younger fish replies 'This? This is water. What I want is the ocean!'"

We are expecting something to feel different when we finally accomplish a goal. We want and drive and achieve for success, and when we get what we thirsted for, we expect a prize. Along the way, we can pass the moments of emotions that are meaningful and look towards the goal forgetting about those who helped us and in turn making us feel more empty in the end.

As I reach my 10th year of teaching and reflect on the the path that has had a plethora of up's and down's, I realize that my journey continues. I am in the ocean of education, but there many different oceans! Teaching doesn't need to always be in the classroom and the journey I look forward to extends my skills outside of schools. And that is where I will find myself swimming and exploring.