Words of Wisdom: The Sandbox

I look back on my youth with a fondness. I will always carry with me the love I had for playing in the sandbox, riding my bike and, of course, street hockey. I lived for rafting down the creek in the spring, playing games or just being with my neighbourhood buds. Life was good. Invariably, though, time rages on and happy sandbox afternoons soon became “time better spent.”

One day, it happened. I was 10, and the real world and I collided for the first time. I had a job. Now, working three days a week for an hour at a time doesn’t seem like much, but that paper route was my “end of innocence.” I had responsibility – people counted on me, and there were actual consequences beyond my parents’ guiding reminders about behaviours, manners and the like.

Time marched on, and so did the jobs. There were less sunny afternoons spent at the park, and more often than not the spring came and went before I could ride the rushing waters at their peak. Times change, and so do people as we evolve from one stage in our lives to another. I look back on my youth with a fondness, but not a desire to return there – because I brought that “sandbox” with me wherever I went. I did not like delivering newspapers, I wanted to quit working at the gas station and I was allergic to the cornfields on the vegetable farm. I wasn’t particularly taken by making sub sandwiches, aerating greens or waiting tables, but it didn’t matter what I was doing because I didn’t let it define me. I didn’t let it drag me down because I knew that I wasn’t going to be doing that job forever. I was a good worker, and I did my best. I didn’t resent my workplace, coworkers or my stature amongst my peers for having “that job.” I always had my eyes on the future.

Finally, it happened. I realized what I wanted to do. Teaching has given me the opportunity to learn, to play and to be thankful for every moment. It gives me the chance to teach valuable lessons, to encourage and provide opportunities, and to motivate and congratulate. My job is now my “sandbox,” and I get to play everyday. Every choice you make is a step towards that future happiness – don’t begrudge any of those steps, just look ahead to your own “sandbox.”