Good Enough

~ rdicarne

This slice grew from “Write With Us Wednesday” with Linda Rief and Penny Kittle. https://book-love-community.mn.co/spaces/9300719/feed

When I was in school, I was never popular or athletic. I was just the nerdy girl who worried about her grades. I wasn’t enough. High school was similar – I didn’t get into NJH in the first round.
BUT
In my senior year, I was named first chair of the string bass section and was a member of the Philadelphia All-City Orchestra.

Even in All-City, I faced imposter syndrome, which followed me into college. I never measured up to everyone else. I commuted instead of living on campus.
BUT
I used a distorted measuring instrument – my view of myself from within.

I didn’t think I was doing enough because I wasn’t doing what other music teachers were doing in their classrooms.
BUT
So many students have fond memories of our shows at SCS.

Growing older has liberated me (mostly) from not feeling “enough.” Being satisfied with doing the best I can do is “good enough” for me.

4 thoughts on “Good Enough”

  1. This piece truly reaches me. We do not always recognize the significance of what we do, and often we carry on under arbitrarily contrived expectations. I sometimes feel that even taking out the garbage is a sacred act, so I try to keep my mind open and be present for every moment and every endeavor. Thanks for this reminder.

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  2. Rita, your description of how your view yourself from within is so real. These are things we attempt to teach kids, yet it follows us into adulthood. I am learning to be good enough and stop comparing myself to other people. I appreciate the honesty in your relatable post.

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  3. Oh, imposter syndrome seems to run rampant in some of the best teachers I know. A few years ago, I was in a teacher leader cohort with some of the best teachers in the state, but so many of us had doubts about our ability to lead, to make a difference, to even be enough. Thanks for sharing a little bit of your journey with us.

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