The 8th grade vocational assessment offered the following as the top three careers most aligned with my personality:
1. Surgeon
2. Park ranger
3. Artist
1 and 3 were out of the question, no money and my parents didn't believe in post-secondary education for girls (I showed them by finishing a liberal arts degree out of pure spite at age 38). Not gonna lie, always wanted to spend my days hanging out in the forest and am still working toward that dream via community food sovereignty projects. But life happened, and I ended up writing code and staring at spreadsheets all day. What I want to know is, who designed the vocational assessment in the first place, and why were they trying to funnel so many kids to the National Park Service?
When I was a comparatively young woman in my early 30's, I dreamt myself -- or a version of myself -- in late-middle age fishing in wading boots in the middle of a river. She [I?] was sturdy, planted firm in the quickly flowing waters -- with the solid feeling of a Balthus-painted figure. She has stuck with me ever since as some ideal of arrival into one's own life, of a Fisher Queen with her house and life set entirely in order. I often wonder if I will ever succeed in growing into her. .... This is all to say that I loved "reclaiming separated belongings and trying to get somewhere with them." Deep, resonant.
Those HS guidance counselors. 🙄 When I said I wanted to major in photography, mine said he didn’t think there was such a thing. Directly behind him on the wall in his office was a chart of majors different schools offered, and three prominent photography programs were plainly listed. Gotta follow your own road, I guess. Speaking of photography, your images...💥. Really great!
The 8th grade vocational assessment offered the following as the top three careers most aligned with my personality:
1. Surgeon
2. Park ranger
3. Artist
1 and 3 were out of the question, no money and my parents didn't believe in post-secondary education for girls (I showed them by finishing a liberal arts degree out of pure spite at age 38). Not gonna lie, always wanted to spend my days hanging out in the forest and am still working toward that dream via community food sovereignty projects. But life happened, and I ended up writing code and staring at spreadsheets all day. What I want to know is, who designed the vocational assessment in the first place, and why were they trying to funnel so many kids to the National Park Service?
When I was a comparatively young woman in my early 30's, I dreamt myself -- or a version of myself -- in late-middle age fishing in wading boots in the middle of a river. She [I?] was sturdy, planted firm in the quickly flowing waters -- with the solid feeling of a Balthus-painted figure. She has stuck with me ever since as some ideal of arrival into one's own life, of a Fisher Queen with her house and life set entirely in order. I often wonder if I will ever succeed in growing into her. .... This is all to say that I loved "reclaiming separated belongings and trying to get somewhere with them." Deep, resonant.
Those HS guidance counselors. 🙄 When I said I wanted to major in photography, mine said he didn’t think there was such a thing. Directly behind him on the wall in his office was a chart of majors different schools offered, and three prominent photography programs were plainly listed. Gotta follow your own road, I guess. Speaking of photography, your images...💥. Really great!
Beautiful.