Sunday, June 5, 2016

Changes, changes....

A few weeks ago, we got to attend our granddaughter's pre-school graduation ceremony.  What fun!  Each child wore a bedazzled paper crown, with "what they want to be when they grow up" printed on it in bold letters. It was so sweet to see how many want to be teachers, or police officers, or airplane pilots...goals that may change many times in the future.

Now that the high school graduation season is behind us--and the ceremonies and celebrations over for another year, I've been thinking about the students who will soon be embarking on their college experiences. Many, at the tender age of eighteen or so, are completely sure of what they want to be. Indeed, some of them are.  Maybe they've been planning and dreaming all their lives about this very future, and will pursue it until they regretfully retire.  But not all.

I remember sitting on the steps of a building on the University of Minnesota campus at the tender age of twenty, debating about my future. There seemed to be two, widely divergent roads ahead, which would lead to totally different lives. The opportunities, the people I met in the future, the part of the country I ended up in, all seemed to hinge on this one choice.

The decision seemed monumental, with all of the grave importance of choosing whether or not to take a rocket ship to Mars.  Should I stay in college, where I'd been given an all-expenses paid grant to finish my education in my chosen field...or accept a job working with a nationally known horse trainer who conducted training clinics for people all around the country?  Adventure, or responsibility?

To my parents dismay, I chose adventure.  And what an adventure it was!  The travel, the people I met, the experiences, were all a real treasure.  But in the end, I learned that a single "monumental" decision doesn't always have to be permanent.  I eventually came back to Minnesota and went back to college...and continued on the path I'd set out to follow in the first place, sure that I knew exactly where I was going.  Except....soon, that seemed rather boring. And so, I changed paths yet again: chose a new major, went back to grad school, became a registered dietitian, and enjoyed a variety of roles in that field, thinking "this was it."

And then, a friend  (waving to Judy!) introduced me to books by a stellar author and I was instantly hooked....which led to writing. Some thirty-five books later, I realize that it had taken a lot of twists and turns to find what I really wanted to do, and it just took a while to get there.  :)

How about you?  Did you follow a straight path to what you wanted to be as an adult?  Or did it take you a while, too?  Do any of your original goals make you chuckle now? Or make you feel a twinge of regret if they didn't come to pass?

Best wishes to you all for a wonderful summer!

Roxanne Rustand
A Single Dad's Redemption
Aspen Creek Crossroads
Love Inspired
July, 2016


USA Today Bestselling Author
The Single Dad's Redemption, 
Love Inspired 7/2016

An Aspen Creek Christmas,     
Love Inspired 11/16

www.roxannerustand.com 
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8 comments:

  1. Can't wait to read your latest book, Roxanne! Congrats on making the right decisions.

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  2. Roxanne, you certainly did chose adventure. The path my life took came as a result of the man I married. He took me on an adventure, and we're still going.

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  3. I didn't follow a straight path to my dreams, yet most of them have been realized; I am a nurse, a mother [and now a grandmother] and a writer. One dream is yet to be realized...to be published, but that is on my horizon...I can see it coming soon. :) I am looking forward to your book. I really like the cover.

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    1. Thank you so much, Diana. Best wishes with your own dream of being published! Have you finished a manuscript yet? What type of book is it?

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  4. Lovely and thoughtful post, Roxanne. You were able to go on an adventure, and ultimately, follow your dreams.

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  5. I do like changes. But those http://skywritingservice.com/blog/category/services
    changes which were the most productive in my life wasn't related to any romantic stuff.

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