What is Life

In the grand scheme of it all, this page will be dedicated to the conversations of the multitude of humans who wish to share their stories on this blog. However, I have not yet begun the process of initially interacting with other individuals just yet. Therefore, I will have my first blog post be about the story of myself. Or rather the story of my life in it’s current journey. The story of Charles Horace in 2024.

I think the primary focus of my current journey has led me to the likes of a movie getting rebooted. Like, for the most part, most of the primary characters will or have returned, but the setting and narrative and direction is completely different. At the ripe age of 29, I fully believe I have set out and accomplished all that was desired of myself when I was 19 years of age. I had a goal and I did it. There was a mountain to be climbed and I reached the top. But after overcoming the challenge, what is left? Do I revel in the accolades? Do I make base at the top and relish in the glory? Or do I go back down and begin another mountain? Is there another mountain? Oh boy. What a frightening and unknown place to be; and you could imagine the mental fatigue I was in during this process. In fact, I still believe I am transitioning from the known into the unknown. It’s a journey, a process, an adventure. 

See, back in 2014 I had determined that my path would be directed towards graduating with a bachelor’s degree and becoming a teacher with a school district in the Navajo Nation. The drive, the passion, and the hunger was evident in every step of the climb. Through ups and downs, curves and twists, through consistency and unexpected stops, and in the chaos of it all—I finally got my degree and became a teacher. I still look back and am amazed at how far I reached and the lengths of challenges I went through. And overcoming all those obstacles, that alone has molded and shaped me into the person I am today. While my time as a teacher was brief compared to the legacy of amazing teachers across the world (you know, those hardcore teachers who spent their lives in the classroom for decades; the ones who know all your siblings, because they taught them all. Yeah, those ones), I only had the privilege to teach my high school students for three years. And what a privilege it was! My students for those 3 years, were my students. I cherished every single moment I had with them. Whether they were having a good day, a bad day, an excellent day, or a day where they just didn’t want to talk; I loved everyone of them as their mentor, their teacher, their guide, and their friend. Each of the 300 (and probably more) students I got to teach over the years will always have a special place in my heart. They were rockstars! Every. Single. One. Of. Them. 

But now, through my conscious decision of feeling it was time to do something different, I ended my teaching contract. I had decided to go back to school and get my Master’s Degree (and afterwards, obtain a Doctorate degree). After this decision, everything changed. I no longer had a home (teacher housing), I no longer had a job, I had no direction, no motivation, no drive, no purpose. And yes, there was the decision to go back to school, but what would I do then? What do I do with a masters or doctorate degree? What is the ultimate goal to strive towards? It was evident that this will be a different journey than before. It felt like the scene from the movie, “Avengers: Endgame” where the superhero character, Thor was speaking about his next path in life after he had defeated the main bad guy. At the end of the movie, his friend asks him what he plans to do now that he has accomplished his biggest goal. Thor responds by saying, “I don’t know. You know, for the first time in a thousand years I have no path. But I do have a ride, though!” Coincidently, this resounded with me on a spiritual level. For the first time in a decade, I did not have a clear path. See, I have always felt God leading me to becoming a teacher. It was his presence that kept me grounded. He was my north star. But in my pivotal decision, it was like he gave me a choice: “Charles, either remain a teacher and reap the benefits while consistently knowing the course, or go into the unknown without direction; and despite you not knowing the map, you will have to trust that I know the course. Have Faith”. And therefore, I chose stepping into the unknown. It’s scary, yes. But I was reminded that God knows our past, he knows our present, and he knows our future. And during the times I have no idea what the heck is going on, I rest on the fact that God knows. 

And so, today is the first day of July. However, it also feels like the first day of my next story. For the past month of June, I was in a season of resting and trusting in God. But as July arrived, I am getting this new rush of energy moving in and resetting everything. My mind is refocused. I have new air in my body. It is definitely much like a character reboot. For a month, I was sort of walking aimlessly in regards to my overall life plan. And now, this new wave of energy feels like the start of a new journey. Like Luke Skywalker meeting R2D2 and C3P0 and not knowing what an adventure that would lead him towards. A whole new galaxy awaits for me to be a part of, and I am just ultimately happy to see where life will take me now. I have this blog that I am working on, I will be starting graduate classes soon, I’ll have a new job, finances will be set in place, and the vibes just feel right. I’m excited for this new reboot. Everything in this journey will be more exciting than the last; I can feel it and will claim it. New adventures awaits!

 Thank you all for reading, and I hope you will continue to check in weekly for my new blog postings with other individuals and hear their stories; because we all have something beautiful to share. God bless and have a great week ahead!