Never Say Never

 I have heard that saying pretty much all of my life, off and on.  "Never say never, because that is exactly what will happen to you." 

Maybe that is right.  

I have said never a few times in my life and at least twice it has indeed happened to me.

My first never was when I was a teen.  

I was never having children.  Ever.  My mom knew better.

This is the result of my first never.  Haha...  On Monday she and her team did their presentation at FBLA State competitions in Springfield.  They came in 5th place; very excellent, but just one spot shy of qualifying to attend Nationals.  They were bummed, but proud of themselves at the same time.

My second never, of course, involves the first photo above; teaching.

When I graduated from high school my father was determined that I would go to college.  I had very little drive when I was in my teens; no clue of what direction I wanted to take in life.  I was content to enroll and attend the local university there in Northern California; Humboldt State University (now called Cal Poly Humboldt, or something like that.).  My first year I didn't even have a major, but I eventually chose Spanish, because it was the easiest I could think of.  But throughout the years of my attaining that degree, Bachelor of Arts, I summarily refused to consider using it to teach.  Never, ever was I going to teach.  

Ever.

Never ever.

Perhaps that was a foolish idea, perhaps not.  In my younger years I was so immature and had no sense of discipline...as in being able to control a classroom.  

However that may be.

Here I am now at age 55, beginning substitute teaching. 

Yesterday I had my first substitute teaching gig at the grade school.  I filled in for a paraprofessional, working with a couple of little second grade boys in the SP-ED class. 

Since I had no clue about anything, and the boys were hesitant to trust or work with me, it was a little intimidating.  A little hectic.  It involved quite a bit of walking them back and forth from one room to another; a home room, a regular class room, the library, the cafeteria, two recesses...  The funny thing is that one of them had the disposition of the tortoise, and the other had the disposition of the hare, so I was constantly trying to keep one from running away from me while at the same time trying to keep the other one from getting left behind.  It only took 2 trips down the halls before I learned I must needs hold the tortoise's hand and tow him along in the hare's wake.  We all got where we needed to be, usually late, but by the end of the day we had all survived so I would call it a successful day.  They had managed to worm their way into my heart and I think they ended up getting used to me by the end of the day.  Yes, I would work in the SP-ED class again.  

 Never say never.  

It might catch up to you and you might enjoy it.