Do I do it because I like it, or because I haven't been brave?

Once upon a time I had a very different idea of where my life was headed. I was finishing up my undergraduate degree and experiencing great academic success; I was the top of my class, I was presenting my papers at conferences and winning awards, I had been accepted as a fellow at the American Academy of Political and Social Sciences. As I approached graduation my professors had great plans for me, most of which included getting a PhD from an prestigious university. Then I decided to go on a mission. One of my professors told me she was concerned that if I went on a mission instead of going straight to graduate school that I would lose my momentum and never achieve my full potential.

Since I got home from my mission I have taken a different path in life. Now I work at the library at Penn State and I studying to get my Masters degree in Library Science. People often ask me why I decided to become a librarian and sometimes I wonder myself - do I do it because I like it, or because I haven't been brave? Sometimes I am afraid that I am doing this because I was scared of the competitive word of academia and afraid of failure and that I took the path of least resistance instead.

Now that I am taking graduate courses I realized that I am doing it because I like it; in fact, I love it. In a way that is hard to describe I am passionate about the work of a librarian. I feel completely happy and fulfilled when I get to help someone find what they are looking for, break through a apparent dead end in their research, or teach them how to do it on their own. As wonderful as getting recognition for my own research was it is even better to help other people achieve their true potential. This may seem like romanticized view of what a librarian is, but that is why I do it. I do it because I like it and because I have been brave.