Lame Duck

I'm at a crossroads here.  For the past five years, I've been very involved at my children's elementary school.   It's been fun; I've made a lot of close friends.  It's been fulfilling; I feel I did my best and that our PTO teams were able to provide the school with valuable programs, supplies, and fun and educational community-building events.  It's been rewarding; I know my kids were excited to see me at school helping their classroom teachers, going on field trips, teaching art lessons, and enjoying assemblies with them.  It was an honor; over the years I received a volunteer award from the school district and was named our school's volunteer of the year along with my dear friend. We kind of go together at Humphrey, she and I.

Last week, our second to last PTO meeting of the year was held.  It's the meeting where board members are nominated for the next school year, and I asked to not be nominated.  It's a relief to know that I won't have to worry about a lot of the things I've worried about every year, but I also feel a sense of sadness in stepping down.  I loved it.  I really did.  But the past tense is what I focus on in those statements.  Although I will always be passionate about my children's education and doing the most that I can for their schools, it doesn't really matter to me whether we have pizza or hot dogs at the holiday boutique or what the new t-shirt design should look like or whether we should have a fundraiser at the skating rink or at the jump park.  Those things used to matter to me but not anymore.  There are new parents at school who care about those things and there always will need to be, so I'm grateful that they are now stepping up to the plate and taking over where we left off.  Ahhhhh, it's the circle of life.

The only trouble is...now what?  My parents paid for four years of college for my finance degree.  I should put that to good use but talk about losing passion in something....  The brokerage industry was never for me.  What kind of job is for me?  What am I qualified to do right now?  Or do I want to do something for which I need to go through more school first?  This evening I went to a school district override committee meeting.  Maybe that would be a good next step for me, a graduation from the elementary school PTO board to helping pass an override that would support the entire district.

I don't need to decide tonight, but I have a lot of thinking and soul-searching to do.  In any case, it's time to move on.