the road to self-discovery, it will not just be you walking on
that road. “No man is an island,” John Donne wrote, and
this is better news than we realize.^2 We are all sharing the
same path as we march toward our destinies. Your journey,
though unique, is full of fellow sojourners, as well as
teachers who will help along the way. Your job is not to find
them but to recognize them when they appear.
In many ways, apprenticeship is an extension of the
parenting process. For some, a mother or father figure
initiates the transition from immaturity to maturity, but
eventually someone else must complete the process. At
some point while we head toward our life’s work, someone
new and unfamiliar will have to come into our lives and
speak with authority. These people often come
unexpectedly and can serve a vital role in our education. So
let’s look at how you don’t miss these accidental
apprenticeships.
Like Slipping into an Old
Pair of Shoes
Despite having made the decision to keep the baby, Ginny
was about to enter one of the most difficult times in her life.
What she needed most—the loving support of a community
—would be all but absent. “I was very lonely during