How Did I Get Here? A Journey Through Teaching, Resilience, and Purpose

Abstract

I often have the lyrics of the song “Once in a Lifetime” by the Talking Heads (1980) running through my head like an earworm. They surface at different times in different ways, but one line has stayed with me: “And you may ask yourself, well, how did I get here?” This question has followed me through nearly every stage of my life.

I was born in Livingston, New Jersey and raised in a small 1-square mile town on the Jersey Shore named Point Pleasant Beach, affectionately referred to as “the Beach.” I can still smell a mixture of fish and salt water and hear the humming of the wires from the salty air. We all went to the beach, worked on the boardwalk, and played until the streetlights came on. It was the kind of small-town living that I feel truly lucky to have experienced. I did not realize, however, that I was extremely privileged. It sounds naïve, but I was not considered rich by any means. We ate hot dogs and Lender’s frozen bagels for dinner. My packed lunch was a chicken loaf sandwich. I wore hand-me-downs from all different family members. We never went on vacation except for one trip to Disneyworld when I was in 1st grade, only because my grandparents had a condo. I would never have considered myself privileged, but I had a community. I had bottomless job opportunities. I could walk to the beach. I had a highly rated school system. I was privileged.