Today in
my teenage angst, it’s February 8th, and far too late to start
making resolutions. I didn't do a resolutions/plans post because I decided not
to make any and I didn't make the kind of plans that I wanted accountability
for. It was just one of those things. There are a lot of live evolutions I’m
looking forward to this year; graduating (again), for instance. These things
I’ll inevitably share with you as they happen. They aren’t the kind of things,
however, that we need to anticipate together.
It was
kind of a weird year, though, and by the end I was excited for it to be over.
While I understand the ‘turning of a new leaf seduction’ of January 1st,
I like to be careful about it; acknowledging my human-ness and general
inability to follow through. Nonetheless, I met two people this year that
affected me in such a way that I came to look at the possibilities for 2014 in
a renewed light. Both are women. Both are younger than I; though, one by only a
few months. Both are more accomplished and have more focus than I. This is
where their similarities end.
Kailee is
a hyper-extroverted, certified High School English Teacher who has spent time
teaching English in Peru, and Swaziland in Southeast Africa. She runs the day
camp at the Moose Jaw Multicultural Center during the summers, handling twenty craz-bot children,
all facing daily cultural onslaught, and is legit just like super whatevs about
it. I spent a composite day with them over the summer and was legitimately
losing my mind every second.
Amanda,
by contrast, is an introverted Archivist, who takes intense and admirable pride
in old documents and knows things I cannot fathom. She travelled to Italy with
her High School Latin class – obviously. She has spent significant time in Europe,
partly for school, and partly for awesome. In Grad School, she went to Guatemala
to work with Librarians Without Borders. Yep, that’s a thing. Most recently she got a boss job as a university archivist, with an office and everything, and is quite literally owning it.
I met
Kailee through a mutual friend who told us we should spend some time together. Thanks, Matty.
We’re pretty happy about that. Kailee and I largely spend our time drinking wine and
talking about how to make the most of our lives while still living with our
parents.
I met
Amanda through the Library, where we work(ed). Admittedly, the first two months of
her employment, I didn’t know she existed. I saw her, obviously, but thought
she was just a new and really committed patron. Eventually, she emerged from
the Archive and we talked, first about the usual uninteresting things, and then
about the gym. Then we died over Casual Vacancy, and bonded over The Fault In
Our Stars, Taylor Swift, Friday Night Lights, Community, Arrested
Development, and television as a whole. We spend most of our time talking about
the glory of Teen Wolf, and getting upset wtih JK Rowling for the Ron/Hermione
thing and then trying to forget about it. That’s obviously more recent, but
we’ve spent a lot of time on it.
These two
are legit the most amazing and admirable women, not only because of who they
are and what they’ve done, but because of what they’ve taught me. The following
are three lessons from each that I am carrying into this year.
Life Change Lessons From
Kailee:
1. People
are good, and important, and lasting.
Because
she’s a hyper-extrovert, Kailee has a giant community of friends, and
acquaintances. Kailee values people so much and she works really hard to make
sure they know that she values them. Kailee regularly takes a family of four
little African children to the theatre by herself, on her own dime, because she
loves them. Kailee’s love language – though she might argue otherwise – is
quite clearly quality time, and everyone around her is better for it. I take
into this year the importance of surrounding myself with people that will support me; emotionally, professionally, and socially. I am led, by Kailee’s example, to resist the isolation that often
comes as a result of my social anxiety.
2. Adaptability
Kailee
takes on challenges like no one’s business. I avoid challenging things; to a
fault. Last year, Kailee got a temporary teaching contract at one of the High
Schools in Moose Jaw. Teaching High School is really hard. She spent ten hours
at the school every day and went it on weekends. She shed a lot of tears. But
she didn’t quit. Mostly because you just don’t quit; but a lot of me thinks that I
probably wouldn’t have made it. Kailee is highly adaptable. She looks at a
situation, assesses the problems, and figures out the best way to survive, and
then thrive (yeah I did). It’s one of the most admirable things about her; and it's something I think about a lot when I enter uncomfortable situations. I channel my inner Kailee; as should we all.
3. If you
want it, work for it.
Kailee
knows what it is to work. She’s had a job since it was legal, worked all
through college, and usually works two jobs when she’s not in school. Even
during her trying semester teaching High School, she still waited tables at
night and on weekends in order to pay off her student-loan as quickly as possible.
Kailee also likes things. She likes to buy boots, and go on trips, and eat out. She also knows that those things come at a cost, and she’s willing to work
for the cost. If you want it, you have to work for it. When I look my school
coming to an end, and the things I want for my life, not only material, but
also communal and experiential, I am inspired to work harder to achieve those
things, more fully understanding the cost that accompanies their achievement.
I am a
better, more whole person for knowing Kailee and getting to watch her live her
life. It is my continual aim to actively put these things into practice.
Still to
comes: Life Changing Lessons from Amanda.
