As we approach the end of the school year, both my j-school students (above) and I find ourselves in oddly similar circumstances, despite the difference in age, interests and perspective: we're all approaching one of those inimitable "windows of opportunity."
In class, we've discussed these extraordinary points in time -- the seminal moments in our lives when anything and everything seems possible. Despite what you may see or hear in the media, this celestial alignment is not as common as you might think.
From the time you arrive on this planet through high school, the first 18 years or so, you're on the educational track. At this point, you come face to face with your first window of opportunity. Following graduation (or not) from high school, you have a number of options.
For my students, who will soon graduate from the University of Oregon SOJC, this is a heady time, full of possibilities.
From the time you arrive on this planet through high school, the first 18 years or so, you're on the educational track. At this point, you come face to face with your first window of opportunity. Following graduation (or not) from high school, you have a number of options.
If you're well-heeled, you can pursue your passion, whether it's kayaking in Sri Lanka or mountaineering in Bhutan. If not, you can defer your window of opportunity by spending the next several years in college, or the military. If you're really desperate, the French foreign legion is always an option.
Or you can delve into the working world. If that's the case, we'll catch you on the flip side. Short of winning the lottery, your next window will appear in about 40 years. Like I said, these windows of opportunity are rather infrequent, to say the least.
For my students, who will soon graduate from the University of Oregon SOJC, this is a heady time, full of possibilities.
Internship opportunity in Washington, D.C.? Why not? Study abroad adventure in Chile? Absolutely. Teach English in South Korea for a year? You betcha!
For me, the situation is much the same now that I'm "semi-retired": another window of opportunity awaits. I'll be off to Germany right after graduation for a tour of Bavaria with my daughter Gina, followed by a summer in the backcountry of the North Cascades.
One of many definitions of "window of opportunity" is this: "a short period of time during which an opportunity must be acted on or missed." In other words, it's now or never, for both me and my students (below, signaling the number one ranked college football team in the country at the time, the University of Oregon Ducks).
The portal to our next great adventure is nigh, and we're all poised to give the command: "open sesame!"
3 comments:
Great post! Love the photos. ;) Definitely makes me want to reconsider my plans to "delve into the work world" after graduation. ...at least I'm taking the summer off, right? Have fun on your trip!
Great post, John! Thanks for sharing your thoughts! Here's to 2011!
Thanks, Jenna. Yes, summer is a good time to take off. Make the most of it! Thanks, Shawna, and I love your screen name.
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