DJArendee

I go to work 4 times a week wearing gym shorts and a t-shirt with a camel back. I'm greeted by smiling 7 and 8 year olds who look at me like I'm their hero. As a gymnastics instructor its my job to teach these kids how to have fun, be proud of their bodies, how to be confident in themselves, and how to focus and achieve their goals. Never in my life have I experienced something so rewarding. Talking to children brings out the best in me. And when the classes are over, I go on the trampoline and jump around and work on my teenage routine as if I'm 15 years old again. The other instructors are the same, and we'll all have handstand contests or flip onto mats and just be kids again. At the end of the month I make 300 bucks. Not nearly enough to make a living.

I just got a very high paying job offer in the banking industry. Its more than enough to make a living, but the hours will run from 230pm to 11pm. In other words, no time to be a gymnastics instructor. After 5 years of pretending to be a hardass in the military and my inner child being a thing of disgust to other military members, this job brought out a part of me I had long since buried deep own over the years and hid from people. The thought of leaving alone tears my heart apart.

With any luck I can work classes in the morning. I NEED to teach what I love.