My Turn

My turn!

Since starting our podcast (which was nothing more than an offshoot of this website), I am frequently asked (by people outside of my education circle), “Why? Why do you do what you do?” There are actually two reasons; I’ll focus on the first because it goes to my DNA.

It may sound corny, but…I like helping people. In my formative years (i.e. before I found out I’m old) when I met people who were unique from me, I did not shy away from that. I didn’t find it weird or ugly or look for reasons to move on. In fact, I gravitated toward them more than anybody else. This will sound utterly ridiculous, but one of my favorite shows growing up was Highway to Heaven; you know, Michael Landon walking across America, helping people out… I was hooked. Some of the best episodes revolved around the two main characters helping people with disabilities. I can say, without a doubt, it influenced me. So much so, that when I got older (but before being old), I found volunteer programs and paying gigs to work with kids with disabilities; camp for kids with cancer, camp for kids with muscular dystrophy and finally a daycare center that focused on kids with unique medical needs.

Then I began to focus on another passion of mine, the theater. I started with conservatory training and when I finished that I wondered out into the wide-open world. When the focus that I needed to make that successful completely and utterly eluded me, I transitioned into the “working world.” I went to work for a friend of mine and became a construction site safety consultant. That lasted a total of seven years and allowed me time to learn both discipline and focus. One aspect of a consultant’s job is instruction (or teaching people who don’t want to learn). Once again, I always found the most satisfaction in working with the people that needed more help.

At some point, I felt that I had plateaued in my professional career without having a college degree. So, one conversation with my wife included, “You know, I really like working with kids, and specifically kids with disabilities. But if I'm going to do that, I need a college degree. Quick reminder, I don’t have one.” Four and a half years of staying focused on the notion of “Helping People.” It was NOT easy. There were so many times when I wanted to quit (or at least take a break). But I pushed through and have never looked back (except when I did, I realized I’m old). In the end, I love getting to know and working with the kids and helping families. That’s good stuff.

TTFN