On the twenty eighth day of December I will time-travel back to 1987 the year I met my husband. I wouldn't change that part of my life but I would change the education decision I made back then. I was in my senior year of high school at that time. One day my teacher had a guest speaker from Cittone Institute on court reporting. They said it was a 2 year school and that you would make a lot of money. They made it sound way too good to be true. So I signed up.
Facts they didn't include in their demonstration:
1. It would take 5 years with no summers off.
2. You had to practice 24/7 in order to get your speed up to 225 words per minute. I did graduate and did reach that speed but it took me 5 years.
3. You had to take state tests in order to work which cost money to take. It was very expensive and frustrating each time I took a state exam. I failed 4 times. I was always an honor student so this was very challenging and disappointing.
4. You would have to travel the 5 boroughs of NY City. I like to be stable and use a routine. The one time I did an internship I got lost on the subway and was very scared.
5. You did not make any money doing your internship. You had to sit in with other reporters and not get paid for weeks maybe months before they give you a job.
If I would have known all that when I signed up I would have gone to college. I didn't want to go to college for a long time. Turns out I studied to become a court reporter for 5 years. I wound up working at a law firm being a secretary using my skills that I learned while lawyers dictated letters.
About a year or so ago I finally sold my steno machine. It was just in my garage collecting dust and I hated seeing it. It just reminded me of my first internship when I got lost on the subway and was so scared. That's the day I told my husband and my parents that I will not be doing this field of work.
To this day I regret my decision of studying to become a court reporter and I should have gone to college for a teaching degree. I think I would have been a good teacher.
2 comments:
But maybe it was meant to be and led you to where you are today. If you had gone to college you might not have met your husband and had your beautiful babies!
I have a feeling you would have been a great teacher, but as Loony said, it probably was meant to be so that you would be where you right now. Take comfort in that.
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