Whose Future is it Anyway?

 Last week, I had the opportunity to be an interviewer for my local high school’s mock interviews. Genius idea, by the way, and one I wish had been a part of my daughter‘s high school experience.

I live about a block from the high school so, despite the rain, I walked not just literally down the street, but also figuratively back in time. My daughter graduated from this same this high school, and I used to work for the district as well, albeit at one (and eventually two) of the elementary schools. 

I arrived 20 minutes early, which, if you know me, you know to be quite out of character. I was unsure of how much preparation I would need to do (none, as it turned out – the whole thing was a well-oiled machine) and I knew that the entry into the building had been upgraded so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. Everything went quickly, though, and being ushered to my table in the gym brought back a variety of memories, most from my daughter's high school basketball games. But it definitely had the feel of stepping back into another life.

The students I interviewed – two sophomores, two juniors and one senior – were much bigger versions of the students I had worked with during my tenure in the district, and smaller versions of my current college students. Some were nervous, but all were prepared, and it was great fun to talk with all of them and to listen to their plans for the future. 

On the walk home, it occurred to me that my impending retirement will give me the opportunity to do things like this more often, something I found both comforting and exciting. Teaching only one class this semester has given me a taste of what a more flexible schedule with more actual free time looks like and feels like, and I've realized that, despite the fact that I vow and declare that white space days (those days with nothing on the calendar) are my favorites, I need some structure in my life as well. White space days are wonderful but that's because they're the exception. I'm fairly certain that making them the norm would get old much faster than I think. 

My retirement timetable is still in flux, but that date is no longer in the distant future. Consequently, I'm getting my ducks in a row -- applying for Medicare, considering supplemental health insurance choices and, just as important, supplemental activities. I think last week's experience with mock interviews was as informative for me as it was (I hope) for the students I met. I know they got me thinking about my own future -- an unexpected bonus -- and I sincerely hope more events like that one have a place on the agenda.

Unless I'm jetting around the world, of course. :-)

Photo courtesy of Pixabay