Recently, I took a trip to visit the University of Arkansas. I mentioned that in my three sentence long post the other week, but what I failed to mention was the experience I had on the plane ride home.
For starters, a main reason why I decided gap year before college was so that I could (hopefully) discover what there is a need for in this world, what my passions are, and then somehow combine the two, ultimately to figure out what I am supposed to do with my life. Why go to college straight out of high school and waste thousands of dollars switching majors for two years? I also know nothing about myself, but that is another topic.
I was the last to bored my plane, and of course, I was stuck in a middle seat. I sat in between an old man and a young woman. The old man kind of smelled, but he had the sweetest smile. The young woman had bright, red, curly hair. The kind that just goes everywhere and is completely out of control, but somehow looks cool on a select group of people. I would say she falls into the category of the few. Not long after I had shoved my backpack under the seat in front of me and felt as comfortable as one who, might I add, is ALL LEGS, can get in an airplane seat, I noticed the young woman's tattoo that sat comfortably(unlike me)on her forearm. The tattoo was simple. A little home. The lines were perfectly straight, the roof wasn't crooked and the foundation looked stable. I told her I liked the tattoo, I thought it was neat and different. I don't think I have seen a tattoo of a little house before. I asked the woman what the meaning was behind her tattoo. She was quick to answer that "the tattoo represents a stable home, and a stable environment." She said quietly. "I have worked in homeless shelters for most of my life and even ran a couple on my own. I just think the importances behind growing up in a stable home, and growing up in a stable environment have been lost". I could not have agreed more. Living in the city, and in the middle of everything, I have witnessed this a lot. I told her I was living in Denver, and how it is notorious for it's homeless population. She said she was aware and that she was actually on her way there for a job interview, "it has always been my dream to live in Denver and work with the homeless there". I asked if her interview was for one of the many homeless shelters, but to my surprise, it was not. "A few years after I was working in my third shelter, my boss asked if I would interview a kid that was taken out of his home due to experiencing abuse and growing up in violent situations. I was the only one working at the shelter that had studied Social Work and had then proceeded to get my masters afterwards. So basically, I was the only one qualified. I told them 'why not', but little did I know that my experience with this kid would spark a strong passion for child advocacy, and that is what I have been doing ever since then". The woman went on to explain the meaning of what she does, and how not only does she interview the children, and listens to their sides of the stories, but she then becomes someone that looks after the kid. She becomes their voice in court. These children have never really grown up with an opportunity to have their own voice. This woman provides just that for these kids. She stands up for them. They know that she is on their side. They know that they have a friend.
I sat in my seat for the rest of the plane ride, thinking about everything the woman had just told me. To be honest, I didn't know that this was a job. I love kids, and it has always been a hope of mine to work with them one day. I have seen a lot of children, already, that don't have the ability to speak up for themselves, receive any basic needs, or even feel loved every day. I hate that there are children who are not able to stand up for themselves because they are fearful of what might happen to them. That being said, I still had no idea that Child Advocacy was a job.
As the flight was drawing near to an end, I tapped the woman's arm to tell her that I was really interested in what she did, and that I really did not know it could be a job. She then told me "oh there is a HUGE NEED for people to work as child advocates. No one really realizes how many kids there are that end up living in abusive situations for eighteen years(until they are able to leave)and fall into the scene of drugs, alcohol, and jail because all they have ever known is that violence fixes everything".
I chose gap year to discover what there was a need for, what my passions are, and then a way to put the two together. If I had not decided to do gap year, sure, maybe I would have heard about Child Advocacy eventually, but I am not sure how long down the road it would have been.
So there it is people, I think I might have found something that I could do and love. Can you believe it?
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