Everything is Full Circle

Everything is Full Circle

I truly believe that everything happens in full circle most of the time.  People who influence you when you are young, eventually pop back up in your life.  For most of us we think of situations like this happening in our personal lives.  You always hear of people falling in love with a great friend from their childhood or running into old friends at reunions.  The 6 degrees of separation from Kevin Bacon truly does exist (even though I haven't figured out how I am connected to Kevin).  It seems that Facebook and other forms of social media and technology has magnified this.

When I look at my journey, honestly the oddest realizations of this concept has occurred in my professional life and because of that I feel blessed.  For me, it seems to personalize my career and make sense of why I work so hard every day.  I think the fancy new millennium term for this is networking however, I'd like to think there's more to it than that!

When I was young I had the same OT for 8 years.  Most people who know me have an understanding that Linda became a great friend to my family along with a few other educators from my elementary school days.  We mainly kept in touch with her through lunches and dinners at the Olive Garden.  We've attempted other restaurants but Olive Garden is our favorite (okay, maybe it's my favorite)!  When I started middle school my family had moved to Holt and my therapeutic relationship with Linda ended.  She received one call from Holt Jr. High when I was in 8th grade so she could give her opinion about my assistive technology needs.  At age 15 my mom and I were discussing my future and my career options/goals.  My mom had mentioned Occupational Therapy and from that point on I was determined to become a great school based therapist.  At age 17 I contacted Linda to mentor and shadow her within the school setting for a School To Work class my senior year of high school.  One week while shadowing Linda there was a Baker College student shadowing her at the same time.  Out of context, I barely recognized Bonnie a lady I once knew.  Between the ages of 6-9 years I was in therapeutic riding and 4-H for showing horses.  Bonnie was my instructor and 4-H leader.  Together, Linda, Bonnie and myself brainstormed and realized that the Baker College Occupational Therapy Program would be a great program for me to pursue my career goals.  I worked hard and stuck to that plan. 

In 2001 I went to visit Baker College and the OT program.  Like Linda and Bonnie had informed me it was a small program which allowed the instructors to be more personable.  While going through the program I remember each instructor taking the time to get to know me and my strengths and weaknesses personally and professionally.  Because of these interactions I feel I made it through a very tough clinical program.  A year and a half ago I started feeling like I have much more to offer with the education I've earned and the career I've started.  I received an email from the Dean of the OT program at Baker asking if I wanted to teach a course for the program.  Thoughts crossed my mind: "I can teach future professionals.  It's one area of OT that wouldn't be hindered by my physical limitations. "  So, I emailed back and basically applied.  Ever since then each quarter I was receiving a call from Baker to teach a course.  I took the opportunity when I had the summer off from my school position.  So 10 years after I graduated from the Occupational Therapy Program I went back to teach at the college level.  Something I never imagined in my wildest dreams.

When I drove up to the really tiny commuter school in Flint it was twice the size it used to be.  A lot had changed in 10 years.  But on my commutes there twice a week I remembered the same thoughts and feelings and fears I had on my drives there 10-13 years ago.  Once in awhile one of my favorite songs from that era came on the radio while I was driving and the hallways of Baker still smelled the same.  All I could think was how bizarre it was to basically go back in time.  I also realized how much I had changed since I was a student there.  One of the coolest things for me was talking with former instructors from the program and their reactions to how much I had changed professionally.  It gave me a chance to self examine and realize that professionally I am on a positive track.

So the day I accepted the summer job I texted Linda and told her we needed to celebrate and I explained why.  She said yes, we do!!  In June we met at Olive Garden and she made sure my lunch with the tiramisu was on her.  She explained to the waitress "our story."  A student she worked with 30 years ago was now about to start teaching at a college.  And that my friends, felt really good!