I need more Loises in my life.

[pettzeria]

There is this amazing woman who is an adjunct faculty member in the education dept here at CMU.  Her name is Lois.  I had her as a prof a year ago in the Fall of 2004 for Reading for Elementary Students.  Today, Lois came to my work meeting and spoke to us.  (We've been having speakers come to our work meetings to help us solve problems we may have with our tutoring or help us get inspired, etc.)  Well, Lois told a lot of the same stories she tells her classes, and even though I'd heard them before, they were even more wonderful the second time around.  She is so inspirational and at the same time honest and realistic.  The one thing she said that I cannot hear enough of, is what a wonderful thing we (as in all of us America Reads Tutors) are all doing and how much she commends us for trying to make a difference in young peoples' lives.  I know my boss tells us at the end of our meetings how much she appreciates us and such, and that's nice, but it's even more meaningful coming from another member of the community, someone outside our work group.

So, I've decided that I need more Loises in my life.  I need those lil reminders that I'm doing all this stuff not to make myself crazy and wear myself thin, but to make a difference...even if it is in just one tiny lil child.   That is the real reason why I have chosen this tutoring job, that is the reason why I decided to go on the alternative winter break, and that is the reason why I am aspiring to be a teacher and not a millionaire.  I do want to make a difference in peoples' lives, and I do want to help shape our future and hopefully create a better world than what it is today.