I never planned

I never planned to be a nurse.
Had I not been laid off so many times and had I not been given the opportunity to be in a state run program to retrain, taken an aptitude test, scored high in math and science, and had nursing recommended, I would have never been a nurse.
I never planned to be a unionist.
Had the hospital I worked at not taken everything from the staff, but more importantly the patients (including the peanut butter), had I not received a phone call from another nurse activist friend, had I not met Ole, who would become my organizer, my editor, and my bother, I would have never become a unionist.
I never planned to be a local president.
Had I not become involved, had I not been asked to speak at rallies, had I not been asked to sit at the negotiations table, had other nurses not looked to me for leadership, had  the situation at the hospital not become so intolerable, I would have never become a local president.
I never planned to be a writer.
Had I not started writing emails of encouragement to the other Backus Nurse activists, had I net felt the overwhelming urge to tell my story, had Ole not agreed to be my editor, I might not have ever written over 550 blog entries and become a fledgling writer.
I never planned to be a state federation vice president.
Had I not been mentored by the three presidents of our sister hospital, L+M (Lisa, Stephanie and Harry), had I not become involved with coalitions with our other Hartford Hospital union leaders at Windham and Natchaug Hospitals (HOPE), had I not been asked to be involved with AFT national at conventions and on task forces, had Jan and Ed not seen something in me that I did not, I would have never become a state federation vice president.

The strangest thing is that I am a planner, I'm almost obsessive about it at times.
I did plan on working a few more years, retiring, and spending winters in Florida or some other warm climate. I did plan on spending more time at home with Michelle.
Now......I just don't know what the future holds......and I'm OK with that.

I think planning is important, even critical, it's one of the tenant of our caucus (PLANS), and I'm very much a STEM person, logical, scientific, etc, but sometimes you have to go with the flow, just see what life brings you.
Unionism, leadership, nursing, life and even writing,  all share this commonality. They are a blend of art and science. You have to sit at the keyboard before the thoughts can get on paper, you have to show up before you can lead, you have to nurse with your brain but also your heart,
and you have to care before you can change the world.