Successful Journey My Successful Journey:

Successful Journey

My successful journey: Reflections on chapter 12

I would like to think that my 'dash,' the line that represents the 'successful journey' I will make between the years of my birth and death, is far from complete (Bjorklund & Bee 2007). For most of my working life, I have owned a vocational school and seen many students come and go, and move onto successful careers in the automotive or boating industry. It has given me great pride to transform individuals' lives. Within the next few years I plan to retire to my lake house with my wife.

I have been married to the same woman for thirty-eight years. Getting to know a person through a successful marriage and building a life and a family together is one of my proudest accomplishments. Just like being a teacher and running a school, building a successful marriage requires self-sacrifice and having an open mind. My journey with my wife is not yet over, and I look forward to learning more about her, once I have retired and have more time to spend in her presence.

Retirement will give me the ability to do many things that I did not have much time to do during my working life: I plan on engaging in fishing, boating, and other pastimes near my house, as well as traveling more. I am proud to say that I was born, raised, and still reside in Houston. Getting to know my hometown community has been another important part of my life. Making an investment in people close to you is just as valuable as traveling far and wide, in some respects, although I would like to get to see more of the wider world during the next part of my 'dash.'

Of course, my two children and grandchildren are the infinite part of my dash that will not end, even after my final years are inscribed in stone. My children and grandchildren have been my greatest students and my greatest teachers. No matter what may happen in the future, I know they will take the lessons and the skills they have learned from me, and impart them to others. Being a parent has made me a better human being, a more patient teacher and someone who cares about the future of the world. As a grandparent I look forward to teaching my grandchildren at my lake house all of the things my grandfather taught me -- everything from fishing, to throwing a ball, to how to treat the woods with respect. I look forward to helping my own children become better parents if they need advice.