When I grow up

Over the weekend, my nephew asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. Odd question considering I thought I was already grown up. Next he asked me why I worked at Camp Fire. I've never really taken the time to explain to my nephew what I really do, so this was my answer to both of his questions.
I was four years old the first time I remember my dad asking me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I quickly replied that I wanted to be an artist and showed him my latest masterpiece. That afternoon he took me to the store and bought me a new set of crayons, markers, colored pencils and easel (the entire set up).
A few years later, I still wanted to be an artist but I wanted something more. I didn’t know what until one morning at school, as I was looking though a National Geographic, I decided I wanted to be a photographer. I was ready to go home and tell my dad, so I faked sick. Sure enough he came to see what was wrong. I told him the truth that I wasn’t sick but that I needed to tell him that I wanted to be a photographer. First, he made me go back to class but that afternoon he took me to buy a Polaroid One-Step Camera.
I spent the weekend taking pictures of everything and anything, just like any other nine year old would have done. He had to go back to the store to get more of the special film three times, but my dad didn’t care about the costs he wanted me to know that he believed in me.
When I was fifteen my dad passed away suddenly from a brain aneurysm, so I started writing to think about something else. One day I realized that I actually liked writing, so I never really stopped.
And as life continued, I put everything I liked together. And one turn into another I ended up at West Texas A&M University and thought that my best option would be a mass communications degree.
I’m still the girl with the crayons, the camera, and plenty of words - just a little more digitized. I get to do everything I wanted to be when I grew up. But the best part is that every day I get to work with people that inspire kids to be what they want to be when they grow up.
Camp Fire USA builds caring, confident youth and future leaders.

I'll never work for a nonprofit

It's amazing how many times in life we say "I'll never" and then turn around and do it. Kind of like the time I said I'd never go faster than the speed limit when I was learning how to drive with my parents. What about the time I said I'd never play Monopoly again because one game took 17 hours straight. Not to mention the time I said I'd never read another book that was longer than 100 pages as long as I live.

It seems out of context to compare working for a nonprofit to these other things I said I'd never do or do again.

With the speed limit, I did speed and then I paid $260 for the ticket and defensive driving. Was it a heavy price? Of course, at 17 with no job it was not fun paying it off. What I learned is that you'll get where you're going at the time you're meant to get there. Sometimes you can get away with speeding and other times it can kick your tail.

When we started the infamous 17-hour Monopoly game, none of us anticipated it would take that long. We could have called it quits at any point but honestly it was more about the experience. Though I've only played Monopoly a few times since then I'll always associate the game with those 3 friends and the memories we made.

Nowadays, reading seems to be second nature. If I'm not reading the latest book on leadership, best business practices or the Twilight series - I'm reading newspapers, magazines, blogs because I love to read.

I said I'd never work for a nonprofit after a summer internship of working with a nonexistent budget, taking work home 6 out of 5 working days (yes I know 6 is more than 5, but if you're already in the nonprofit world you understand why I say that), not answering to one boss but an entire board all at once, and the list could go on for another 10,000 words.

Yet at this moment, I wouldn't have it any other way. Marketing in the corporate world doesn't look as appealing. Selling change feels better than selling the latest and greatest gadgets.

So maybe my speeding ticket slowed me down enough to appreciate paying the price for premature assumptions, playing monopoly made me appreciate the power of making memories and reading reminds me of the adventure that we call life and how we are the hero of our own story.

So here's to the next ______ years of working in the nonprofit world - perhaps next time I'll think twice before saying "I'll never" or maybe I won't.