Building A Persona

Flower in full bloom.

“Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.”
George Bernard Shaw

I had a fierce desire to be independent when I was young.  Making it on my own was critical. I wouldn’t settle for anything less.  Yet, I had hardly prepared for independence. Majoring in English Literature in college didn’t quite put me on a fast track career path.  I found myself panic stricken as the end of my senior year approached.

I expressed my fear to a group of people at a party and the serious nature of my comment brought the conversation to a halt. But, I could see concern in the face of a woman sitting across from me. Maryann was a few years older than I and she’d been in the workforce for a couple of years.  In the silence that followed my remark, she suggested I apply to New York University where she worked and where they were currently hiring. Maryann’s pretty face and caring eyes reached across the room and I felt a shot of confidence.  A few weeks later, I found myself meeting with an Employment Counselor at NYU who referred me to the Financial Aid Office for an entry level position. They offered me the job and I was on my way!

Soon I had an apartment, a bank account and a credit card. With each acquisition, my confidence grew.  I felt the courage to dream of the future and the conviction to become exactly who I wanted to become.