Chaviva asks: “Are you where you thought you'd be 10 years ago? Where you were when you were a senior in high school ?”
Well, Chaviva, for me this is two questions: a) ten years ago and b) when a senior in high school.
I was actually never a senior in high school. I finished high school in three years, and went to college for a year (in 1969-70)(before attending nursing school). I knew already that I wanted to be a nurse, and to live in Israel. I accomplished both. I also dreamed of having a family, which (thank G-d), I did. But I never would have dreamt of the difficult parts of my life which lay ahead, nor my future interest in special education.
Ten years ago, Ricki was young, and we were fighting for her right to inclusion. I would have never believed that we would make it all the way through junior high. And while I dreamed of losing weight, I could never have envisioned how liberating and life-changing that weight-loss journey would be for me.
Yet, in many ways I am the same: the love of music, reading, knowledge, crafts, nature (i.e. the Rocky Mountains...), and dance. The desire to connect with others. My sincere religious belief.
Yes, the world has changed enormously since I was in high school. Who would have dreamed of facebook back then? But, oh--- the days are not all that different when you get down to the way people think and act.
3 comments:
I think that in truth, people never really change -- at least not on the inside. The things that make us laugh, our insecurities, the feelings we get when certain things happen or transpire -- those are eternal. But going through life as the same person would be inexcusable. We must be impacted by all that happens around us and to us, I think, in order to make life matter.
Bravo for sharing :)
Chaviva, maybe the "ikkar," the core of us doesn't change, but change is an integral part of Judaism. That's what teshuva is. Our "ikkar," core is good and pure, and we must peel away the drek, sorry but I just can't think of a better term for it.
Superficially, we can change. Some of us never get to the core, unfortunately.
We all have our ups and downs. Life isn't perfect, and it's certainly not easy. Sometimes it seems like G-d has given us challenges we can't deal with.
Rickismom, you're an inspiration for many.
Gee, Batya, Thanks!
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