Once upon a time my Dad went to a pretty awesome university and got an undergrad degree in Psychology and Business. He could have gone on for an MBA, but didn't. He became an effective pastor and now does teaching overseas. He could have been making lots of money by now, but he doesn't because he chose not to because there was something else for him that would be so much better, so much more right for him.

Once upon a time someone said I was a good writer. At some other point, my Dad said that I should be a businesswoman, probably after I won another school competition for selling the most peanuts or candy bars or girl scout cookies or something. I thought it was a pretty good idea. Then I became a teenager and took geometry. For some reason, my relative inability to understand  theorems made me think that I couldn't do anything related to science or business or math. No numbers for me.So I went to college and got a degree by reading literature, an activity that I previously disdained for being way too impractical and much too cerebral. Actually, what I really did in college was write, something people continued to say I was good at. Now I'm a writer for the communications arm of my alma mater. It's a great gig with lots of room for growth. The problem? Not sure I like writing much anymore. I do it, I'm good at it, but it doesn't exactly make me feel like I'm doing what I was created to do.

Today I heard a dude talk about nuclear power management and I had an epiphany. It was a totally transforming moment. It gave me a wonderful, beautiful sense of peace and lifted a type of vocational oppression that's hung over me for the past 5-10 years. Miraculously, I no longer think, "Alli, you can't do that--you're not smart enough."   

I should be a businesswoman.

(You might think I'm crazy and acting like a misguided American Idol hopeful, but I promise I'm not being silly.)

The latest installment in my Blacksburg series has been posted online. I'll provide links to everything else I've written on the topic so you can get the full picture if you haven't yet.

My series of vignettes about my trip to Blacksburg. (new)

My pre-Nov. 4 service feature article about churches in Blacksburg.

My interview with Blacksburg church leaders.