Was this truly my identity, or was it meant to be hers for me to adopt?

I was searching for a life-changing career opportunity, and my local community resource center had answers for me. My local Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation offered me a four-year college scholarship to the state college in my city, so I chose to study Criminal Justice since I was interested in forensic photography and sketching for the police and courts.

At first, I felt uncomfortable in classrooms with children and embarrassed by wearing a full torso brace during my recovery from major back surgery, which had complications that made me relearn how to walk. The daily drive to college and the long walks between classrooms, both inside and outside campus, made my chronic pain unbearable, leading me to give up on college midway through my third semester.

The Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation supported me through my struggles with college. One of the counselors asked if I would consider a career in activities for long-term care (LTC) because I was artistic and liked working with the elderly. I wasn’t familiar with LTC or what it meant, but I felt a spark of interest when I learned it involved nursing homes.

All in all, this was part of my passion for art that I enjoyed, and I thought it could kickstart my career as a full-time artist. My wife was excited to support me on this journey, not because I could begin my artist career, but because I was becoming a respected member in her field—healthcare.

I would begin my new career by taking classes at Trumbull Memorial Hospital in Ohio. The classes were taught by the activity’s director of the psych center, who was also a Nationally Certified Activities Director and a member of NAMI (National Alliance for Mental Illness). I quickly connected with the activities program when I took her courses.

The course was a six-month program to become an activity aid in long-term care. It taught the basics of organizing activities for the elderly and understanding their care, as well as how to support STNAs and nurses within residents’ activity limits.

I don’t remember how many students were in my class, but they all had experience in activities and were there to improve their skills in long-term care. I was the only beginner in the class, and my teacher highlighted that in front of everyone, not to embarrass me but to encourage me and help me get support from my classmates.

One of my instructor’s suggestions was to volunteer at a local nursing home while taking my activities courses. My wife suggested Assumption Village, a nursing home linked to her hospital in North Lima, Ohio. I would spend my days off from classes and weekends there until I passed my courses. I was determined to create my own identity, regardless of her connections and preferences for my education.

I quickly grew to love my volunteer position and the teachings from my Activities instructor. She was amazed by how fast I learned about activities in long-term care and even predicted I would pass the course four months before the final exam. She recognized my passion for activities, and I was determined to excel as an activity aide in any home that would hire me.

Fast-forward six months to exam day to become an official activity aid. I passed, just as my teacher predicted. I was thrilled to pass and to find a job at a home, but the job search after school wouldn’t happen quickly. In fact, it wouldn’t happen at all. My teacher would give me some news I wasn’t ready to hear and in fact was shocked by her news.

I was going to be held back and this time it would be for a year, and I’ll tell you this surprising reason why.

I’ll add more chapters to explore the themes of time and identity of becoming an artist, so I’ll continue with the next chapter.

Sincerely,

David L

Healingwithart