Life Changing

How many life changing moments can you count? Whether it was the birth of a child, a marriage, graduation from school or the trip of a lifetime, I'm sure we can all count on one hand the number of truly life-changing experiences we've had. Some of them could have been wonderful and beautiful events, others could have involved death or saddness, either way, it's a defining moment - one you can look back on now with complete clarity and see the moment where your life took a turn and changed - for better or worse. I guess for me that was joining the Peace Corps and moving to Bulgaria - I gained my independence, lived alone for the first time and got on a path that led me to where I am today. It was certainly not easy, and not without major bumps and hurdles, and the path wasn't full of pretty flowers and sun-shiny days, however, I can't go back and change a moment of it, because every part of it led me here - to this town I now live in, to the job I have, to the person and life I am now a part of. It certainly wasn't easy, but it most definitely was worth it.

It's funny - I deliberately remember talking to my mom before I left for Peace Corps - an idealistic college senior getting ready to "go save the world" and we talked about how my generation didn't have any of those moments that define the generation - moments that you could discuss many years later, and every person in the room remembered exactly where they were, and exactly how they felt when that event took place - so far my generation had had the OJ Simpson trial and the death of Princess Diana. Wow. My mom's generation had the Vietnam War, the assasination of President Kennedy and so many others. Turns out I shouldn't have spoken so soon. Not too long after that conversation did 9/11 happen, then Afghanistan, then Iraq, then Virginia Tech, then too many to count. So many defining moments. Do you remember where you were when you heard about them? Have you thought about putting down on paper your thoughts and experiences for future generations?