The Life I've Chosen

About two years ago, I had that moment that most people can go a lifetime without feeling. It was that "So this is where my life has been heading all along..." moment--a moment of elated epiphany--that of course was followed by an overwhelming sense of "Oh sh*t. This is where my life is going. Now what am I going to do about it?"

How did I get to that moment, and what exactly was my realization, you ask? Well, let me introduce myself first and then we'll get to that.

My name is CW. I'm country girl at heart (read: reformed Yank), living in the great state of Virginia. I'm a university student working towards a bachelors degree in history and a masters degree in Secondary Education, and with all that oh-so-rare-and-spare free time that I have, I'm a volunteer EMT in a rural community just outside of where I go to school.

From the time I was old enough to have an opinion, I've shared it. From the time I was old enough to know what a goal was, I've had one. While the goal was always changing when I was younger (because god forbid a 7 year old actually have a set opinion on what she wants to do with her life), in recent years I've settled on wanting to shape America's future. I want to help people. I want to change a life.

Now you're probably thinking, "THIS is the goal that she settles on?! How on earth are wanting to save the world, and that pivotal epiphany she talked about one and the same?" Well, truthfully, it kind of just happened. And by kind of just happened, I mean one day I realized that everything I had ever truly been passionate about was related to affecting change and helping people. Go figure, that I found an outlet for that in becoming an educator and an EMS worker.

Education and EMS are a life I have chosen, and that I love. But in choosing two such fields, I have inevitably found myself being plagued with this impending sense of responsibility to humanity (read: this is my "Oh sh*t" moment). How do I ensure that my contribution to education and EMS are not solely for selfish purposes? How do I make what I do matter? How can I channel that enthusiasm that "sparkies" are so fondly known for into something productive and generative? And this blog became part of the answer to those questions.

When something takes over my interest I like to ask questions, I like to share my passion with others and I like to learn as much as possible about a given subject. Luckily for me, social media has taken a strong root in both EMS and education. I have found some great individuals and resources in both fields that have inspired my foray into EMS and education, and I have come to a point where would like to add my own knowledge, experience and questions to what is out there. I claim no expertise, no finality or even a semblance of brilliance in regards to my contributions; however, I hope that someone out there might find a morsel of meandering thought that is of value to them.

This blog is primarily about EMS and American education, but you can expect to learn a bit about me outside of those two realms of my life. As I said, this is the life I've chosen--in more ways than the two fields I see myself dedicating my life to. I've chosen the southern way (but darn if I give up fresh NE seafood and my Boston Red Sox), country livin', and the music to which I geek out. These will be making an appearance among my musings, and I hope you enjoy.