Peace

Describe a risk you took that you do not regret.

It always tickled me last year when I made it public that I was leaving my job as principal. So many people asked me where I was going next and what I was going to do. I told them the truth by answering “I don’t know”. It made me wonder if that raised more questions in their mind when I said that. I almost hoped they wondered what happened to make me completely leave the community without having a plan in place. They always seemed a little shocked by that. After all, I wasn’t just leaving administration and going back to teaching, I was leaving the whole place. And for a good reason! Many good reasons actually.

It was definitely a huge risk when I left. I didn’t have another job lined up, though I had been submitting applications daily. I had money in savings, and a plan to be added to my husband’s health insurance if I couldn’t find a job before mine ran out. But other than that, I had no plans. And still, I don’t regret leaving one bit. Not even when it took a lot longer than expected to get hired somewhere else.

In fact, I was so happy with that decision that I bought memorabilia to celebrate it. True story. This peace sign key chain was symbolic of the fact that I was so looking forward to throwing up that sign and saying “peace out” on my last day. I was ready! Of course there’s only one finger I really wanted to use on that last day.

I had referenced the word “peace” to describe my attitude about leaving so much, that I included it in my principal’s message in the yearbook. My administrative assistant was the only other person who knew why I put that word in there.

I will never regret that decision. I also anticipate there being other risks that I’ll take in the future. Hopefully I will also view them in the same satisfied way as I did this one.