Library Science--The Road Not Taken

Since this blog is about what life is like for me as a highly sensitive person and as an author, from time to time I will write about the writing process and feature other authors’ works. Recently I was challenged by Trisha Priebe of www.househouncho.com to set my timer for five minutes and write free flow what comes out about the road not travelled!

As I thought about the topic my mind immediately went to my very first job ever. Before I graduated from high school, Mrs. Pierson, the school librarian, approached me about becoming her secretary. I had worked in the library as a student volunteer for two years—she had plenty of time to observe me and my work! Delighted, I accepted the job! She wanted me to promise her two years, and if I fulfilled the two years she promised to go to bat for me and secure a full four year scholarship to study library science.

I fully intended to fulfill that contract. I wasn’t so sure about library science; I’d been thinking I wanted to study English and then go into teaching. I didn’t know a person could have a double major, perhaps I would have learned that, or Mrs. Pierson would have told me! Despite my intentions, my heart got in the way. I met this gorgeous guy of Italian descent. The big brown eyes and wavy black hair made my brains fall out! After one full year as secretary I quit the job and went away to school to be near my heart throb. I forgot all about library science; declared English as my major and ended up studying anthropology and languages.

If I had travelled the road not taken I may have become an author sooner—living with books may have had that effect on me. I still became an author because that was God’s plan. He simply worked with the choices I made and brought me to this destination by another route. My environment acted somewhat like a vortex, sucking me into experiences and arenas that enriched and rounded out my personality. If I had become a librarian, I would not be who I am! Would I have discovered God’s revelation about burden bearing and high spiritual sensitivity or would I have hidden in the books away from the pain in the world? I would not necessarily have developed a love for internationals or become a cultural “bridge person.” I may or may not have found that I have a unique capacity to relate to those who are different from me in culture and language. I may or may not have learned to speak God’s language and translate that into English as He assigns it to be done. I would not necessarily have met my husband (he would be someone else and our children would be different people. . .) All the places we have gone, the things we have done, the lives we have touched and the friends we have made . . .  all would be different.

Choices. Choices are always followed by consequences. The choice to take one route lops off all kinds of possibilities inherent in other options! Choices open some doors and close other doors. That is neither right nor wrong; it is reality. The choice we make opens up the possibilities available to that choice. And there, my timer went off and I can explore no further!

What about you, and the choices you have made? Try writing for five minutes and then ask your spirit to edit what you have written—it might be instructive to see what changes or additions your spirit makes to what your soul has written!