(Sorry… Being my own drummer!)
Pride and Joy
What’s your most prized possession?
- My College Degree
- Courage
- Self-Reliance to Plan My Own Way
POSSESS ……… verb (used with object)
- to have as belonging to one; have as property; own: to possess a house and a car.
- to have as a faculty, quality, or the like: to possess courage.
- (of a spirit, especially an evil one) to occupy, dominate, or control (a person) from within: He thought he was possessed by devils.
- (of a feeling, idea, etc.) to dominate or actuate in the manner of such a spirit: He was possessed by envy.
- to have knowledge of: to possess a language.
- to keep or maintain (oneself, one’s mind, etc.) in a certain state, as of peace, patience, etc.
- http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/possess?s=t
After intense deliberation, I have concluded that there are several things that I would consider to be prized possessions (depending on which of the above definitions one would choose).
To possess as a house or a car … … I am very happy to possess a college degree. This degree has given me the freedom to make many of my life choices without the fear that imprisons some of my friends. I love teaching. But when I wanted to take a sabbatical from teaching after experiencing burnout my first five years… I had a degree to fall back on. Choosing to work at Food Lion for two years, was a blessing. Having a degree, paved the avenue for a fast promotion from a bagboy to departmental management and more. It also allowed me the chance to teach at a junior college allowing me to gain the needed respite to encourage me back into the teaching profession.
To possess courage … … I think I get my courage to push myself from both of my parents. My father perseveres through all obstacles to complete the things in life he enjoys. When I was younger, I remember him holding down FIVE DIFFERENT JOBS to allow own family needs to be meet. My mother encouraged me to be self-confident at walking to the beat of my own drummer. But whatever song to which I choose to walk the beat… to be MY VERY BEST. It did not matter what others were… or what others thought.
The one possess that I wish I had pursued would be the mastery of at least one more language. When I was younger, I was good at acquiring language vocabulary. I had five plus years of Latin in junior high and high school. I took Spanish in college. But I actually ‘speak’ no other language. I would love to be conversational fluent in Spanish… in German… in Japanese… in Chinese … and in Arabic.
In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “Pride and Joy.”
It's All in Finding the Right Words 