Three Pages into the [career] Waiting Place…
During my senior year at the University of Tennessee, I had the unique opportunity to assist professors within my major with technical issues. The opportunity was great, because I was able to make connections with the people bestowing upon me a degree that has surely enabled me to achieve success.
Near the end of my senior year at UT, one of my marketing professors, Dr. Thorpe, gave me a copy of Dr. Seuss’s, Oh, the Places You’ll Go! As an ever optimistic senior approaching graduation, I thought to myself, “What a great gift idea for someone about to embark on their career.” It’s a really quick read, and up until yesterday, I only remembered how optimistic the book is and had forgotten about the “bang-ups and hang-ups.”
Zooming ahead about 108 months, I was attending a meeting at work on the topic of inclusive leadership. During the Q&A portion, one of my colleagues asked a vice president to recommend some leadership books. He gave a rapid-fire list that I didn’t write down nor can I remember, but then he stopped on “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!”
Specifically, this vice president focused on three pages in the book that he called the “waiting place.” That’s when I realized that I was and have been for some time in the “waiting place” with my career.
Waiting for the fish to biteor waiting for wind to fly a kite
or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake
or a pot to boil, or a Better Break
or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants
or a wig with curls, or Another Chance.
Everyone is just waiting.
What a dose of self-realization I just swallowed as I thought about the “waiting place,” and I was surprised that I didn’t remember much about these doldrums when I read the book 9 years ago.
But wait, “somehow you’ll escape.” However, I don’t know how, and I don’t when. Dr. Seuss dedicated three pages to the “waiting place.” The first page for me was when I walked into the “waiting place.” Then page two was my unknowingly being in the “waiting place.” I’ve finally turned to page three just by knowing I’m here and my career is ready to escape to the “bright places.”
Just so happens that we have two copies of this thoughtful book. I got my copy as I was leaving the stately halls of UT, and Tory received her copy from her Dad as she was arriving.
Dec.05.2007.
I received this book from my Footies when I graduated from Yale (Footies are the freshmen that I lead on a backpacking college orientation trip). Dr. Seuss had a lot of wisdom, didn't he? Another good one of his is "I Had Trouble in Getting to Solla Sollew" (I think that's the right title...).
Good luck & happy waiting!
Hey! Adam,
I liked your new blog. I have read the same book to Levi and Avery at their house. Esther, like you, received it for a college graduation gift. Did Tory receive hers from her father as she was arriving to UT?
The book sure gives us all a lot to think about.
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