I met my friend Paula at Whole Foods today for lunch. While I was waiting for her I browsed the section of the store that has clothes, makeup, yoga mats and various other fun, non-food stuff that is too expensive to buy. I saw a magnet that made me stop and think. It said "Life is not about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself."
That inspired me and made me think of the journey C.J. and I are about to set out on. If going to a Caribbean Island at 33 to become a doctor isn't creating yourself, I don't know what is. And the question I hear most when I tell people we are moving to Grenada is "what are you going to do there?" Well, that magnet made me think, I'm going to create myself too!
This new life I'm going to create, I think it is going to involve blogging. So, here we go, I'm starting today. Katherine at work helped me set this up. She also taught me how to spell Caribbean. Two "b"s not two "r"s. This was a valuable lesson. Imagine if I was out there creating myself all the while misspelling the name of my new home! Thank you, Katherine!
I did not buy the magnet, by the way. It cost $5 (of course). Also, what am I going to do with it when we move? Put it in a box? Pack it in a suitcase and take it with me? Are there refrigerators in Grenada?
This is how I've started to think of everything. In terms of, what is going to the Island and what is staying behind and what is getting sold on Craig's List. When it gets to be that time, I think Craig is gonna get most of it. Can't create a new life with all that baggage.
But let's get back to C.J. for a moment. Let's talk about what creating your own life means for him. He is living proof that if you want something, even if it seems unattainable and impossible, if you work hard enough, you can have it. Key to this is work hard, harder than others think is reasonable or wise. Work at it for five years. No sitting around waiting to find it, going out and getting it one step at a time.
Even though your undergrad GPA is low and you haven't taken one science or math class in 10 years. Even when you go to a counselor at UT and she tells you, "you will never be a doctor, don't even try." Even when you have to take intro to algebra, so you can take intermediate algebra, so you can take college algebra so you can take trig so you can take calculus, which is the pre-req. Even when you have to leave a camping trip to go study for a few hours. Even when you are married and have a house and a full-time job.
Even then, if you work hard for FIVE YEARS, and even if those Texas med schools don't want you, there is a place in this world, if you work hard enough and are willing to trade some things, that will take you. And by God, you will be a doctor.
This is the man that I am following to Grenada, folks. I admit, I had my doubts. There were some rough years when I was not the biggest fan of this doctor plan. But now I must say, I am proud. There are worse things than being married to a man who is ambitious (aka dreams big!).
This is only the beginning, but actually, when you've worked so hard to get to this point, you just know that whatever this life brings, even if you have to fight your way through (and because you WILL fight your way through), your gonna make it. And for this, I'll recreate myself gladly.
Not to mention, let's get real, who doesn't want to live on a Caribbean Island for two years?
