A new path

            Since my last post, Fred and I have been talking a lot. He wasn’t completely thrilled with my plans for the future. About my career, I mean, not about us. Part of it was guilt, I think, that in our years apart he’d accomplished his goal, while I was stuck under my dad’s thumb and never got a chance to do what I wanted. When I said that there were no jobs available here in what I want to do, he offered to step out of the new business and move with me to wherever I could find a job in the field I’m interested in.

            I couldn’t do that, of course. This new business was his idea and Harvey and Ben are depending on him, especially in the early stages. And besides, what the office I applied to said was right. I need experience with abused children, which means I’ll need to do volunteer work.

            When I brought up that point, Fred got this bright look on his face. He asked if I was set on law, or if I just wanted to help abused children. And really, ever since finding my mom’s journal, it has been helping abused children that was my main desire more than the law aspect. It was only that going into law was an acceptable career to my dad.

            Fred asked me how I would feel about starting up something myself, a nonprofit for abused children. At his suggestion, I had an immediate desire to do just that. We talked over it a lot. Looked at expenses and how much I had in my own savings. Discussed what the specific mission would be.

            While I’ll never know for sure, part of me thinks my mom married my dad right after she graduated because she didn’t want to end up under her father’s influence again. And while I didn’t have as intense of an experience as my mom and many others, I understand how someone can so easily fall back into an abuser’s hands, and in order to avoid that, make decisions not thought through as well. I really want to help abused children feel confident enough in themselves and their abilities that they can be independent from their abuser. 

            I’m still working out what exactly the nonprofit will do to accomplish this mission, but I’m confident that it will come together. And with all of the contacts I made while working for my dad, I have some companies that might be willing to donate money and resources to such a cause.

            Everything is still in its early stages, but I spend most of my time thinking about this nonprofit and getting excited over ideas for it. Taking my career this way won’t make me rich, but I’ve seen enough of wealth to know that doesn’t create happiness. The clichés are true in that way.