A521.3.4.RB - Personal Reflection

A521.3.4.RB - Personal Reflection

In your Reflection Blog, recall two or three situations from your childhood or early adulthood that had a formative impact on you. Describe the situations and relate how they impacted you. Pick situations that have affected how you act and feel in an organizational or team-based environment.

One of the first situations from my childhood that had an impact on my life was my parent’s divorce when I was seven years old. I never thought for a minute that the divorce was because of something I’d done…a punishment. This was because I never heard my parents fight; it was a complete shock to me. The impact that it had on my life was that I learned from my Mom how to be a strong and independent woman. She has been the one constant in my entire life…from moment one. I have learned from her that being strong doesn’t mean that you don’t make mistakes, or that you don’t fall in love, or that you have to be cold-hearted. It means that your strength is in how you recover from those mistakes, how vulnerable you allow yourself to be with your loved ones, and that the person who wears their heart on their sleeves is always stronger than the one who hides. I tried to learn from her mistakes but ended up only repeating them…ha! However, I had her voice in my head constantly reminding me that I could do better, was worth more, and was capable of bigger things. This has impacted me especially in my career choices – especially when I took a job in a commercial electrical distribution company. I drove a forklift, made deliveries to job sites, and eventually had my first management experience. Everything I did lead me to the doorsteps of the Boeing Company. If I hadn’t tried for better…I’d still be selling shoes at Dillard’s.

Another situation from my youth was that my Uncle Wayne, my mom’s youngest brother, was an airframe mechanic. This job took him all over the world. A lot of my early childhood was spent in airports waiting at the gate (back when you could still do that) for Uncle Wayne coming back from England, Germany, Saudi, Italy…you name it! He always brought me something back, the only two things I still have are dolls from Egypt and Germany. He brought little pieces of the world back to us in Arlington, SD. It just seemed like his life was one continuous adventure! So, fast forwarding to when I was 22 years old and I had moved back in with my parents in Santa Fe, NM. I went to Santa Fe Community College and met my first husband in a math class. Four months later, we married and six months after that, I moved to Germany with him. It was my turn for adventure and I didn’t look back. Remember what I said about repeating my Mom’s mistakes? Marrying too early was one of those mistakes. But I’ll never regret the time I got to spend immersed in German and Western European culture. My Uncle Wayne sparked an adventurous spirit in me. I have taken many leaps of faith, not all of them landing well, but that’s where learning from those mistakes comes in. Either way, I still went for it.

Both of these people have had an impact on me in a team-based environment because I have a more diverse world view than folks who have never lived anywhere else. I’m not saying its better or worse. I’m just saying that I do well in team situations because I know that everyone has a backstory, everyone comes from somewhere and has their own battles. Seeing so much of the world has made me aware that no matter where we come from, there are similarities in all walks of life. We all struggle, from mechanic to CEO, and finding the common bond is what makes the difference.

Both my Mom and my Uncle Wayne have pioneering spirits. My Mom was probably scared to cut the ties of a (somewhat) secure financial situation and a roof over her (and me) for her independence – but she still took that leap. My Uncle Wayne was probably super excited to travel but also scared to be so far away from the only home he’d ever known – but he still took that leap. I think both of them came out of their experiences slightly bruised and forever changed but I also think that they don’t regret any of it.