Jesse A. Schroeder

To get there, and to return home, I walked a variety of paths. The path of the sidewalk through the neighborhood. The path of the bridge over the freeway, which is itself a constant path of cars speeding along. The paths within the park itself, and finally arriving at the path of the labyrinth.

While I walk along a path, I tend to think ahead, more about where I want to be not as much about where I am at that moment. But I have to take one step at a time to get to where I am going. I can only complete the step that is front of me at that moment. 

With the new year and new quarter ahead, many people have asked me about my schedule, and it sounds very busy. I will be balancing continuing to work at Step by Step Academy, full-time school work in the Master's of Social Work program, and a new addition of a field practicum at Focus Learning Academy two days a week. I am always tempted to think ahead, about what I would like to be doing instead of what is right in front of me. I think about new volunteering opportunities, a new career, and the exciting opportunities that are waiting in 2011. 

But I have to remember that I cannot do it all. I have to say "no" to the things that aren't right for me at this time, that aren't the next step. I have to remember that taking these particular steps - such as graduate school - will eventually get me to the goal that is far down the road. Again, I cannot do it all. I can fulfill the step that is right in front of me, and I can fulfill it completely. 

Perhaps my desire to always be "thinking ahead" and doing something else comes from a culture of multi-tasking. Most restaurants serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Most devices do more than one thing, for example a phone, music player, e-reader and gaming device. I find myself wanting to do more than one thing, pulled in several directions. I want to help everyone, volunteer for every good cause, and be the best student, employee, and intern. To be honest, I want to do it all!! 

Contrary to the "multi-tasking" gadgets are the devices that do one thing, and do it well. My family gave my dad a Kindle e-reader as a gift for Christmas, and it is one such device. It is an e-reader, and it is the best e-reader on the market. It is not color, doesn't do games, doesn't have a full web browser, etc. There are some devices that try to do all these things, but they do not succeed in being the best e-reader. In the Kindle does one thing, and does it well. I need to remember that, just like I can only take one step at a time, I need to do one thing at a time, and do that one thing well. 

Reflecting upon this, I realized that there is a difference between who I am, and what I am doing. I can only do one thing at a time, dependent upon the place in life in which I find myself. Right now, I have to do the things of a student. But I will always be a husband, a person of faith, a friend, and a follower of God. Just like a Kindle is an electronic device that does the task of reading electronic books, I am Jesse, and I can't be anyone or anything else. But at different times I have to do different tasks. 

Some of these reflections might seem elementary, but they are necessary reminders for myself as I face a new year, a new quarter, new challenges and new opportunities. I can't do it all. I can take the step that is in front of me, as only I myself can do.