"ANYTHING YOU WANT TO BE"

When we are in Kindergarten, we are asked to compose a picture of what we want to be when we grow up.
We are given a blank, crisp piece of white paper, and crayons.
And we are told to create this image of who we see ourselves being when we are all 'grown up'.
From a very young age- the message is given- "You can be anything you want to be".

Then we hit early high school, and it's made clear that our future is coming. We take aptitude tests, and are asked what interests and motivates us.
We apply to colleges and are asked to pick our majors.
Even though we aren't given a box of crayons- we are told- "You can be anything you want to be".

I didn't' take the path that most take after high school. I lived a little differently. I needed to make my own way. I needed to experience the love and hate, the beautiful and all the ugly-- all by myself.
I yearned for a knowledge of the person inside my head, and the person in my soul.
And when people asked me who I wanted to be, I didn't have an answer anymore. I honestly didn't have any idea where my life was taking me.
I had no clue where I wanted to go, or how I wanted to get there.

It's funny, when you start to grow up. It doesn't hit you like a ton of bricks. But it happens much by building a brick wall- one hard solid brick at a time.
I slowly transformed into this person who dreamed of becoming more. Doing more with her life. Making changes and being a happy, independent, loving, strong woman.

I'm finally ready to become a grown up. To stand on my own two feet. To apply all of the knowledge I've gained in my life. To become the woman I created on that crisp, white piece of paper so many years ago.

So wish me luck, as I venture on, and proceed to become "everything I want to be".