I Had a Lot of Constructive Interests

Some recent radio ads have said musical training helps to develop children's minds...and it also helps seniors to be healthy and alert....  As a child and teen, I had a lot of musical training and performance experiences compared to the average person...but not compared to people who became professional musicians....  (These days, I still play the piano sometimes.)

As a young person, my main interests were music, volunteer work, travel, and a little bit of sports, along with working part-time jobs every year....  I was very busy!  Have written about my work and past-times earlier....

Because of the teasing I got, my self-esteem was low...but if I'd had a better self-image to begin with I could've resisted the teasing....  My parents were busy working much of the time....  But looking back, I believe I had a lot going for me....  My parents did their best and gave me opportunities....

In the police project, I want to stand up for what's right--as I've been trying to do--and I hope things won't take too much longer....  We've made progress but we want to see definite results and a resolution!

Getting Clarity in Hindsight--Part 1

When I was a child, my 3rd and 4th grades were in the same classroom with the same teacher.  One day, this teacher asked us to tell what we'd like to be when we grew up?  I thought for a minute and realized I liked writing on the blackboard, so I decided I'd like to be a teacher!

In the following years in the elementary school where I attended, I read stories about "problem children" who got helped by their teachers.  This part of teaching appealed to me--to help children with their problem behaviour--children who were worse than I was, at the time....

During high school, I wasn't always sure I wanted to be a teacher but I kept it at the back of my mind and didn't find a better option....  In college I first started working on my general classes for a Bachelor of Arts degree....

In the police project, some people heard me say I had problems as a teen because of my parents separation and problems earlier with my sister when I changed from the public school to the church school....  [I had some anger issues.]  And these people wondered why I wanted to work with children, and how competent I was...?

Have written earlier in this blog that my brother was born when I was 10 years old and I always made a point of getting along with him....  I also started babysitting my cousin's five children as they were born, and I enjoyed it.  In high school, I did volunteer work with kids for a few years; and I genuinely appreciated working with children.  [As far as I was aware, there were no problems in my interactions with all these young children and things proceeded smoothly.]

Continued in post below.

Getting Clarity in Hindsight--Part 2

Continued from post above.

Sometimes in school, we did a commercial personality test which was supposed to show our aptitude for different occupations.  But my friends and I never found any benefit from those tests, I'm sorry to say....  Looking back now, I believe the work that appealed to me the most in elementary school was to be a child psychologist when I grew up....  That would've been interesting and rewarding.

People who study psychology sometimes have some minor problems that they can learn about and help their own lives...and I believe I could've done that with all my family problems....  I could've healed myself!

My eating disorder was a slightly bigger thing that might or might not've benefitted from child psychology training...?  I might've needed separate treatment, as I got?  But just having a purpose and a cause to live for makes a difference!  I floundered for a long enough time without having a definite career.... 

People have accused me of being gay when I was young.--I had other issues and was very busy, as I've written here and elsewhere.  [I didn't have time to worry about my own, or anyone else's, sexual orientation!]  But I'm glad I can look back now even in hindsight and make more sense of things.

I Prayed a Special Prayer

In both high school and college, I had a lot of travelling experiences--probably more than most students.  In my first year of college in England, I went to visit family near Scandinavia at Christmastime; and when the school year ended, I had a train pass to travel around Western Europe for a month....  My train trip was safe and successful, at that time, and when I arrived back on the school grounds, I felt very blessed!  I spontaneously prayed a prayer that God would use me to help a LOT of people!  Then I forgot about it....  But, if I may say, I don't think God did.  We haven't seen all the results of the police project yet...but one day they'll announce what's been going on....

Have had many ups and downs in my life, which I've explained separately, but they say travel is good for writers....  I believe it makes them more knowledgeable and open-minded.  Not that travel was my only asset or resource, but I also believe my travel was good for me.  It was a positive investment in my life and nobody forced it on me.--I consciously chose it, without very much direct input from my parents.  (My church and school encouraged me somewhat.) 

My travels were such a source of satisfaction, education, and delight for me; and I prayed a special prayer.--I didn't want to think only of myself....  Sometimes God takes His time to answer us but I believe He wants everything that would be good for us; and I believe there's a lot that has been and will be good in the police project--in spite of some frivolity and human error and weakness....