1. Never underestimate the power of people's stories, especially when we ALL have a story to tell.
2. Assume nothing when it comes 'knowing' a person, for a person consists of many, many elements.
3. When a fire alarm goes off in a senior center, roughly 60% of the people will NOT hear it no matter how deafening the sound. : )
4. When you start a first anything (client meeting/intake/assessment, group, paper), know that you are not alone in your anxieties. A sense of humor is everything.
5. The word clinical is a VERY big word and for those of you (like me) that are passionate about social justice, rest assured that it is alive and well in the world of social work or at least in social work education.
6. Don't be afraid to sacrifice a bit of your pride and ego when it comes to asking questions or taking risks, especially when another person's life is involved.
7. Communities are a blessing, whether it's a school environment, peers, colleagues, etc. Embrace and nurture it.
8. I have been concerned about the ability to express the creative sides of myself in social work and can say that I have already put my creativity to the test in ways I never would have imagined.
9. When there are elderly people dancing for hours on end to Michael Jackson, Frank Sinatra, and Tony Bennett, believe me when I say that I WANT TO THROW CLIENT/PRACTITIONER BOUNDARIES TO THE WAY SIDE AND HIT THAT DANCE FLOOR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
10. When I look back at all I've accomplished in two weeks, I want to smile and cry at all the beauty I've encountered and I know that this will be a few of the richest years of my time on this earth thus far.
