{Blogtember - Days 3 & 4}

Day 3: Pass on some useful advice or information you learned and always remembered.

Growing up, my mother always encouraged my brother and I to try new things. Whether it would be a sport or a club at school. She wanted us to be well-rounded individuals and involved in a lot. She shuffled us from religion, to soccer, to basketball, to baseball, to dance, to events with friends. All while encouraging us to never, ever let people tell you that you can't do something. She told us it's okay to think outside the box and be different. I have always taken that advice to heart and used it to shape who I am today. I remember I wanted to be a pediatrician and then my guidance counselor told me I was too stupid. Luckily, I fell in love with languages and wanted to become a Spanish teacher. I felt at times in college that I was never going to get there. I jumped through so many "hoops" such as the education department's lack of structure and not being able to pass the stupid departmental assessment test. I at one point had just wanted to throw in the towel and give up. But my mom's piece of advice stuck out in the back of my mind and I wanted to prove everyone who told me I couldn't or wouldn't make it that I would. Here we are, four years after I graduated college with two Master's Degrees.

No matter the hurdles you may have to come, do what is in your heart. Don't let anyone tell you that you can't do something.


Day 4: A story about a time you were very afraid.

Five years ago, I had worked all day at my job serving out in the Hamptons on Long Island. I was coming home (it was a Sunday) and it was raining, so I was taking my time going slow. Plus, when it rains, everyone forgets how to drive on Long Island. When I got home, when it came time for dinner, we ended up ordering pizzas and I went into town to pick them up. Before I went into the pizza place,  I went into the grocery store next door to get some soda. When I came out, I had heard someone say "Get him! Get him!" and my first instinct was, someone had kidnapped a kid.

Turns out, someone had hit a bunch of cars and had taken off. Someone wrote down all the license plates of the cars that were hit and went into Stop & Shop to have the owners paged. As I was looking at the list (someone handed it to me and I brought it in), I realized MY CAR was one that was hit. I of course called my mom up, afraid of her reaction and also wanting to cry. The person that hit the cars was 93 and had a brain aneurysm that burst so he had no idea what he had done. He hit a car, hit the shopping cart holder that folded up and hit another car, turned around, hit a Ford explorer that went FLYING into my car and then took off. The cops wanted the Ford Explorer and myself to drive our cars apart. I looked at the lady and said I was NOT getting into that car until it was fixed. Was she crazy?!!! We ended up having to have a rental car for 3 weeks (which my mom drove and I had her car) while mine got fixed. It had to get a whole new back passenger door, new trunk, etc. All in all, over $5000 worth of damage.

I was so afraid to drive for awhile after that but I knew I had to overcome the fear.  Thankfully, nothing too traumautizing has happened since!


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