The Dying Embers of the Decade

It is the penultimate month, the eleventh hour, of 2019 but also 2010 and all the months in between. The fire has roared, it has raged and now it is subsiding. We are now in the dying embers of the decade. What were you doing ten years ago? How has your life changed? As the ashes set on December 31st, how will you rise again? Like Joaquin Phoenix? Or the proverbial bird of rebirth that bears the same name? (Whichever simile you choose, I hope your performance is Oscar worthy).

The year was 2010, I was completing my final year of an English and Geography degree in NUIG. When I think back on that time there was so much uncertainty. We were in the aftermath of a recession and it was going to take serious creativity to manifest a job with a basic Arts degree. So I left behind gregarious Galway and its charming, characterful cobbled streets. I headed east to Dublin to see if I could master Journalism.

It had always been my dream to report on sport and so I began this journey in DIT. Like an embryo, I got to experience so much over the course of nine months and I met like-minded people and colorful characters. I learned about the nuances in the delivery of news and how to creatively and effectively share my views.

I was definitely drawn to Print over Broadcast Journalism. This was primarily down to my verve for the written word but I was also embarrassed hearing the sound of my own voice. It’s funny how years of teaching can solidly shake self consciousness out of you. I wrote a blog back then called AConn’s Chronicle where I also had a prominent penchant for puns. I definitely lacked a clear focus however and that probably reflected the undeveloped side of my 21-year old mind.

When I was eighteen, all I wanted was to be a Journalist. Then my motivator, life coach and growth mindset guru (my Mam) planted the seed of teaching. I remember saying to her: “I could never stand up in front of a room of teenagers and speak to them.” She quickly dismissed the idea and told me to forget this and forge this path for myself anyway. My Mam is not one for dwelling or dawdling so she made sure to instill me with confidence.

When I look back at this conversation now I barely recognize the girl she was talking sense into. I was like a helpless human in a spacesuit, flapping and flailing around not knowing which direction I was going in. It’s amazing the power one conversation can have. It’s like Steve Jobs when he quizzed John Sculley (the then VP of Pepsi):

“Do you want to sell sugar water for the rest of your life, or do you want to come with me and change the world?”

When I completed my Masters, I had to wait one year to apply for the Professional Diploma in Education. Even though I loved Journalism, it was difficult to forge a career and teaching was always going to be my end game. I figured I could always write during that perk we call the long Summer months. I ended up spending most of those Summers traveling, playing football or working, so writing took a back seat. I am happy to say it is happily back riding shotgun and it has given me a new lease of life.

As I look back at 2010, I see a girl who literally winged her way through life. My BA degree is an ode to Sparknotes and I was also quite the CliffNotes connoisseur back in my college days. I plan on completing a Diploma in Nutrition and Health Coaching and becoming a Yoga Instructor in 2020 and I could not be any more enthusiastic.

I have been transformed from a shortcut-taking scut to someone who joins Webinars about prospective courses. I think I am officially old, in the very sense of being sensible but I wouldn't have it any other way.

I cannot wait to see where my thirties take me but I'm still firmly planted in the present day. The embers of the 2010s could soon be blowing out but I see flames on the horizon. Here's to continuously setting challenges and rising to them.