Office DEVA

In middle school we were all shuffled into the “Career Resource” room to determine our career paths. This was easily accomplished by looking in a eight inch thick book with every career possibility inside. The book was overwhelming and I remember browsing through it quickly trying to skim the pages to see if anything sounded interesting – nothing. There were pictures on the wall of the room of teachers, doctors, police and firemen – all smiling and posing in their job. Nothing about the pictures even resonated with me. A few weeks later and pressed to reveal my career choice to a guidance counselor who was going to magically map out the rest of my scholarly years to prepare for my glamorous career, I told him that I wanted to be a pharmacist. Secretly – it was the white coat. I loved the white coats that the pharmacist at my local pharmacy wore – starched and clean, and all the pill bottles and measuring devices – even the mortar and pestle (I didn’t know what it did but it seemed cool sitting up on the shelf at eye level).

My counselor gave a heavy sigh and convinced me that it would take many years of school to be a pharmacist. Rats, that’s all I needed – more school. Then I told him I was also interested in being a medical researcher (discovering a cure, or helping others – awesome! That’s me!). Again, the heavy sigh. I was told I was too sociable for such a isolating job.  So I was reluctantly placed on the “college prep” track. Great so much fun.

Just a few months later, Raiders of the Lost Ark showed in the movie theaters with Harrison Ford. I loved the movie, but really fell in love with the romance of other countries, digging for treasurers, finding answers and contributing to history. That was it! I was going to move to Egypt and start my own archaeological dig. Sweating in the hot sun with my tiny tools of brushes, pics, sieves and shovels - deciphering clues of my findings - discovering artifacts hidden for centuries.

I couldn’t wait to get to school on Monday – I was so excited and proud to have finally determined my career at thirteenth. I decided to get to the guidance office as soon as possible, nothing was going to stop me. I ran most of the way. Mr. Bolden was just arriving himself and I told him of my weekend career discovery.  He said, “Miss Leckington, if you want to be an archaeologist, you will have many years of school, teaching and travel ahead of you. Why do you keep choosing careers that are isolating?” I replied, “I don’t care about being lonely, I care about enjoying what I’m doing.” And with that, Mr. Bolden changed my schedule for the following year to the history and science track.

I never did become an archaeologist, but I did have a brief stint in nursing school that proved to be too much on the clinical floor for me. So here I am calling the shots, helping others, digging for answers, and discovering new things every day as a business owner, and guess what? I love what I do!

~Laura