homes was nothing short of incredible. The homes were
shacks with dirt floors. The children slept on those floors or
in some car seat from the junkyard. Here is her recollection:
The mothers spoke poorly and seemed frightened to
have me visit. I returned to school, amazed that my
students could learn as well as they did and
recognizing the fine teaching that had occurred
earlier so that now each one of these children could
read at least at a mid-second grade level. Those
teachers had been the most important adults in the
lives of the children . . . and now I was one of them.^6Gloria’s feeling of ingratitude was replaced with a deep
sense of honor. She went from resenting her job to
embracing it. Sometimes, a calling is simply accepting your
role in a story that is bigger than you. So when my friend
asked what kind of writer I wanted to be, I said the most
natural thing that came to mind: “I want to be the kind of
writer I’m supposed to be.”
Missing the Call
The easiest way to miss your calling is to ignore the call.
Maybe it feels too risky, or maybe you feel too old and silly
chasing a dream that now seems out of reach. We keep