Thirteen Years Lucky

An old photo of me sitting on the lap of the Coca-Cola bear brought back a lot of memories, and made me realize what a snazzy hair-do I had in college. A lot of people tell me I haven't changed much, and I usually respond, "Because I was twenty going on forty." (Seriously, look at my hair!)

I was in Atlanta for a public relations conference for PRSSA. I was a senior in college and we visited the Coca-Cola factory.  I know for a fact this was in the Fall of 2001, because we rented a car and drove - the four of us who refused to fly post 9/11. As I sifted through some relics from my past, I had to ponder the fact that I was such a serious student, so focused on my career, and then juxtaposition that to where I am now.  I am getting more than a little discouraged at where my career is today. I had so many goals, so many ambitions. It's hard to believe this was thirteen years ago.

Sidebar: If you're shocked that a twenty-one year old college student was spending a weekend networking and learning about how to break into the field of public relations, then you must not know me very well. I was a nerd growing up and still am. I didn't drink and party while in college; I worked three jobs simultaneously and studied. I went to class in dress pants and business suits. I was often mistaken for the professor. It is what it is.

Then I read a great blog post on LinkedIn called When to Turn Your Back on Your Career and I mentally slapped myself in the brain.

She was right. It's a career. It's not my life. It doesn't define me. When I went through my box of memories, it was those crazy adventures with my friends or pictures of my family acting goofy that meant the most. Sure, some of it I had completely and totally forgotten about -- either early signs of dementia or proof that when new information comes in, old information gets tossed like yesterday's trash, but a little reminder brought it all back, and that, in turn, brought a smile to my face.

I have learned a lot in thirteen years. I am not where I had pictured myself to be back when thirty seemed like a swear word, and a million miles away.  I am in a better place, and for once in my life, I'm not grasping at whatever comes my way. I'm making choices and taking charge. I think that young woman on the bear would be shocked, but also smiling, to glimpse what the future held.