Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Possibilities

I'm easily inspired.

We just returned from Washington DC–the 8th grade three-day killer trip in which kids, teachers, and chaperones tromped around the nation's capitol donning safety orange t-shirts with the imprint: "Always Walk Through Life as if You have Something New to Learn."

Rather than list every grand museum, memorial, and monument we visited, I thought I'd list  the various new careers I considered as we toured the amazing historic city.

• Lawyer, eventually leading to a gig as a Supreme Court Justice. I hear there's an opening.
• Investigative Journalist, to uncover provocative information like a Watergate scandal.
• Astronaut, to emulate a sort of modern day Amelia Earhart.
• Archeologist, to make a mammoth fossil contribution to a Smithsonian.
• Politician, for obvious reasons. Like roaming the Library of Congress and pondering all of the profound quotes on the wall.

This happens to me a lot when I get away from every day life for a few days. After our first Disney visit, I was brainstorming ways to become a princess. Just kidding. But on the plane ride home from Orlando, I did start writing an animated fairy tale though. It was pretty bad. Like I said, I'm easily inspired. While it would seem I'm obsessed with exploring fantastical opportunities, I think when it comes right down to it, I like the idea of making a difference...having impact. And when I see some of the deeds of great men or women, I think to myself, "I want to do that!"

Hello President Obama!

Upon deeper reflection, we all make a difference in our own way. I'm a mother, wife, daughter, banker, manager, and most importantly a dabbling writer. Undoubtedly, I don't have the influence of a person who orates stuff like, "The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself." But I have a sphere of influence. My family, friends, coworkers, and those ten people who read my blog and stories. Every day I have the power to make a positive impact. I don't know exactly what this is. But if I start the day intending to make a difference, I most certainly will. It doesn't have to be anything like drafting the Declaration of Independence. But who says a small gesture isn't as important as a grand one?

As I considered how the trip motivated me, I was excited to ask Cole if the trip inspired him to pursue any particular field of study. I'm pleased to announce his sights are set on Major League Soccer–a noble way to contribute to society. Apparently, he learned quite a bit in DC. Especially that pursuit of happiness thing.