Sometimes, life just doesn't get any better than this...

I know I'm still young, but sometimes, I just can't help wishing that I could look through some magic crystal ball to see what the future holds in store for me. That dream of mine to be the next Marcia Clark will probably always have a special place in my heart, but the more I live life, the more I realize that my true calling may actually lie elsewhere. I remember talking to Juan maybe 2-3 years ago. (He was always quite the philosophical thinker.) I could never understand why he didn't want to become a lawyer when he was clearly terrific at it. But I think I finally figured it out today. It's about chasing after that dream and doing what you really love, instead of what you're good at.

I am starting to believe that I was built to teach. Teachers should teach according to each student, not as a huge ensemble. Teachers should try to reach out to each student and figure out their strengths and weaknesses. It's been a long time since I've had a teacher do that for me. Maybe I'm naiive, but I strongly believe that each child is a diamond in the rough, just waiting for someone to come along and help them learn. To me, teaching a child is easy. It makes me so upset when teachers or parents just give up and think that a child is stupid. Nobody's stupid, they just haven't been helped yet. And for many, they won't be helped simply because nobody believes in investing a bit of time in them.

I always thought that I would be extremely happy teaching. But for some reason, all my past teachers tell me to go into law. Even Ms. Clark tells me to do so, cuz apparently she thinks that I'd make a great prosecutor. Nothing would please my dad more than for me to make lots of money and be a big time attorney.

What started out like an ordinary day may have changed a lot of my perceptions today. I dropped my brother off at basketball camp today. Then I hung around to chat with Erin for a bit. (She had just dropped off Justin.) Anyway, who comes along but the new JV coach, Sean Dixon. (Yay, Sean!) We all chatted some more. But what made the conversation so great was realizing that we were all doing something with our lives, as insignificant as we may think it is, we're actually making it out there in the real world. It kinda made me hopeful of the future. It just might prove interesting...

*pan to 20 years later* A semi-aged Jamie pulling into the Schurr staff parking lot, parking in what is now Mr. Anderson's parking spot. She gets out and sees Coach Dixon, spinning a basketball in one hand. "How's the team doing, Coach?" she asks. "They made CIF," says Sean. Moments later, the successful wedding planner, Erin, pulls up in her stylish mini-van, dropping off her children to school. They all stop to chat and reminisce about their old high school days. Each has become very prominent, touching the hearts of many people and enjoying a prosperous life.

*pan back to the present* So, where do I go from here? I know I would love to be a teacher, but at the same time, would I be happy teaching while knowing that I could have also been a succssful DA? Myabe I should try to be more like Juan. I've always looked up to him (probably cuz he's taller than me). He taught me that it's okay to listen to your heart instead of what everybody else says. Granted, he's also very stubborn at times... but I think he just might be onto something this time...

Either way, today proved to have given me a good feeling, just thinking about the future...