modest beginnings

I knew I would be rewarded and compensated one day for choosing my apparently flawed career. When I joined school, six months back in January, my salary was very low. It was half of what my friends at textile companies and designer houses were getting. They asked my salary and were appalled at the figure. They told me it was too little and I was being exploited. My own brother ridiculed me for teaching and said I was basically wasting my degree. A month later when a design house offered me a job that would double my salary, I said no. my fiance said I was being foolishly romantic. He of course respected my decision but was baffled by it. He told me I could do a lot with my new salary and I should be practical. He laughed when I told him that job satisfaction was way beyond money. I told him that I love my job and I don’t care if they pay me less. I get to teach, help and learn. I don’t think I would have been able to work with government school children with any other job. But, I did and I’ll always have this experience with me. I saw myself rising. I rose with each day that passed after the previous. I worked hard and silently prayed to god. I did everything that I was told to do. And god, being merciful that he is, answered my prayers.
Today my salary is more than my friends. It took me only six months to get where I wanted to be. People tell me I am silly, But I am not. I strongly believe if you are passionate about something you shouldn’t care about money, if you are good at something, you will become successful. But to chase a career because it has more monetary benefits, that is silly. Honest hard work always pays off, is something that I have learnt in the past six months and of course sincere prayers.
I went through a very difficult and rough time last semester at art school. I did miserably in both my thesis and lost all confidence in designing. Even today, I am unable to shake my inability to design something. Its just an insecurity that resides in my head but I am unable to let go. This rather tragic episode compelled me to decide on a different career path. My past teaching experience led me to believe I could do it. And through teaching, I wanted to help academically weak students and otherwise challenged students.
Today I am happy to tell my friends and fiance that with a little patience and determination, I alhamdolilah got what I wanted. I didn’t run after money neither did I complain about my job. Most of my friends complain about how boring and insipid their job is. They whine and grumble about how their creativity is challenged and minimized. I always smile inside when this conversation occurs.
I learned the hard way, but I did learn. Its not like I didn’t pray and work for my thesis, I did, yet I got a crappy grade. The truth is, there are things that are just beyond my control and comprehension. I had never planned on becoming an art instructor yet today I am most content on being one.