By Dr. Laura Hills, President, Blue Pencil Institute, www.bluepencilinstitute.com
In the past week, three different younger professionals have told me that they look up to me as their role model. These have been unsolicited comments from younger people I know in different fields and who don’t know one another. It strikes me that somewhere along the line I have morphed into being a person who younger people respect and even want to emulate. Does this mean that I am now a sage? A Wise Woman? Perhaps.
I have learned a thing or two over the years, I suppose. I have accomplished some things too. I’ve raised daughters who have blossomed into remarkable young women. I am married to a man who adores me and who is the love of my life. I live comfortably. I’ve made contributions to my community. And despite the usual bumps and bruises along the way, I’ve managed to keep my sense of humor and even all of my own teeth. I’m no spring chicken. So, I guess it does seem plausible that I am now a role model.
This is a humbling realization. The weight of that responsibility is just hitting me, and I am awed by it. It turns out that my own success and the way I’ve carried myself through my life has mattered more to the younger people around me than I’d ever realized or imagined.