Some Thoughts on Life and Birding

This year has been a mixture of emotions and events.  I quit my job at Life Skills on December 4, 2012.  It was a big decision.  I was not happy there, but it was a full-time job.   Should I stay or should I go?  I decided to go.  I’m still not convinced it was the right decision.  After starting another year as a substitute teacher, my patience is running thin with regard to finding a position in which I can see some sort of future.  The one thing that has been consistent besides having a loving and supportive family has been my passion for birding.

I have entertained the idea of somehow making a career out of my love for birds.  It would be extremely ill-advised, however, to switch to yet another career path that seemingly has very similar struggles as education.  Too many applicants, low pay, and budget issues to name a few mutual points.  If only I was passionate about fixing computers or was a software specialist.  That stuff seems boring to me.  What’s more, that stuff is inside.  Everyday I sub is yet another day I can’t spend outside.  If I didn’t care about the security of my family (which I do care about more than anything), I might figure out a way to travel the country and go birding.

Perhaps the reason that this is on my mind is the fact that I’m 68 pages into Kenn Kaufman’s Kingbird Highway.  For those of you who aren’t familiar with Kenn’s story, let me try to sum up a much more complex story in short description.  With a little bit of background information about his formative years, Kenn goes on to tell about his 1973 Big Year adventure.  He hitchhikes, goes hungry on countless occasions, has run-ins with law enforcement, and sees a ton of birds in the process.  He was not yet 20 years old.  He went on to author many other notable books including the Kaufman Field Guide series.

After reading not even a quarter of Mr. Kaufman’s book, it is still very clear to me that I am not like the author.  Kenn’s parents allowed him to go out on his own at the age of 16.  I think I was 12 or 13 before my mother allowed me to go around the “big” block on my bike.  My mom still calls me to make sure I got home alright.  Kenn left school before society said it was socially acceptable.  I have two bachelor’s degrees and a masters.  I suppose it just goes to show that birders are an eclectic lot.

I’m not sure I would be thinking about any of this had I gotten a teaching job right out of college.  Perhaps my outlook on my professional life would be far more positive.  So far, however, I view myself as a failure professionally.  I do not say this to garner sympathy.  I do not want it.  I’m simply looking at this from an objective/goals perspective.  I have not achieved many of the things I thought I would have by now.

In a small way, however, I believe I have turned my professional misgivings into a personal success…or enjoyment at the very least.  By quitting a job that seemed to be going nowhere fast, I allowed myself to enjoy life in other ways.  I can’t say I don’t have anxiety everyday about my uncertain future, because I do, but at least I am flying into the future with an open mind.  Happy birding!