I Can Die Now
I have a
little secret; one I barely ever say out loud; not even to myself.
Every day, I live my life in search
of ways to inspire others, to do what is right and just and
to see my life come full circle.
The first
two are easy, but the last, seeing my life come full circle, relies upon the
forces of nature and the Universe. When it
happens, I tell myself; I can die now.
I hope you
don’t think me morbid. In fact, I think I’m just being realistic. We may not
know when, but we should all know that death is going to happen.
Last week, I had one of those
moments. I was in Iowa with the folks who design the ACT tests.
These are the
people who are sticklers (they even use the word to describe themselves) for accuracy
and fairness. They work tirelessly to design assessment tests for students and
employees. Their desire is to ignite a passion for lifelong learning.
Their
mission and purpose is real and is being realized.
That
morning, I had spoken with my high school English teacher. Karen helped to
ignite a passion for learning in me. We chatted about how excited I was to be
there and how the ACT essay had been my saving grace. Without it, Jacksonville
University would not have accepted me.
When I
spoke, I was more nervous than I have ever been, but I could immediately see
that I was with my people. They laughed with me and thought deeply about how
they could be even better.
Many, many years ago, the folks who
designed the test inspired and created a pathway for me.
Last week, I had the chance to return
the favor.
I can die now.
Be you, be well, be
learning.
Bertice Berry, PhD.
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