If you’ve been hearing wet, squelchy sounds lately, it’s probably been my motivation retreating down the drain. Yes, graduation is still seven months away, and yes, senioritis has already struck. And unfortunately, the nice staff at the infirmary can’t stuff a little sandwich baggie of pill packets to fix the ailment. But lately, I’ve found the most unlikely motivational teachers.
None of my new teachers proceeded down the aisle to “Pomp and Circumstance” at a college graduation like the one I’m trying to reach. Every one of them dropped out of high school. They’re some of the folks behind the statistics about poverty, teenage pregnancy, drug addiction, crime, and unemployment. But they’re also the folks with the gritty resolve to sludge through quicksand in pursuit of big dreams for themselves and their loved ones.
If I had merely heard their stories and seen the statistics, I would probably have told you that these people regrettably weren’t headed anywhere. But after just a month of working at United Ministries’ GED program, I’ve realized that I’m the one in need of a shove in the right direction.
Meet “Sue,” age 40. She’s unemployed and responsible for her eight-year-old son. Somehow, she finds the time and energy to study at United Ministries 4 days a week, at least 4 hours per day, and also pore over study materials at home. She came to United Ministries with little understanding of basic math, but today, she’s speeding through worksheet after worksheet. Her goal: to take classes to become an ultrasound technician or a forensics specialist. She knows where she’s going and how to get there.
Meet “Kayla,” age 18. The cards life has dealt her have not been a winning hand so far. I don’t know her story, but one look in her eyes shows me she has one to tell. Despite the three years I have on her, I know she’s far more of an “adult” than I am. Her goal: to go to Greenville Tech and ultimately become a nurse. She knows where she’s going and how to get there.
Meet “Carl,” age 35. Carl spent five years in the GED program and retested three times before passing every section. As an adolescent, Carl became addicted to alcohol and other drugs. His drug addictions gave rise to criminal behavior, and Carl went to jail twice. Now, Carl both has his GED diploma and has been “clean” for two years. He’s on his way to finding meaningful work. He knows where he’s going and how to get there.
Rarely have I seen such determination. Faced with the odds of many United Ministries GED students, I’d probably have given up long ago. But I don’t have to face those odds. In truth, any challenges I have to confront are relatively small. The arbitrary lottery of birth virtually guaranteed that whatever life situation I encounter, I’m likely to have the resources or social network to weather the storm.
The primary purpose of this column isn’t to elicit guilt, though. Guilt isn’t what heals the world—action is. But the purpose of this column isn’t even to inspire you to “rescue” the world. I simply want to invite you to be taught by my unlikely teachers. We can be taught to find passion, motivation and purpose in daily acts of living that open our sky to big, important dreams.
Where are you and I going? Do we know how to get there?
