A LIFE RENEWED

Life a year after Covid ended a much loved career

By Sonia Huggins

Sonia Huggins is an educator who gave up her distinguished career one year ago this month as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. She is a regular contributor to SideOne.

As the popular phrase goes, “ I left it all in the classroom.” Everything I had wanted to do, I did.

I never believed that I could separate my identity as a teacher from myself as a person – nor that it would be so easy to leave it all behind. But I did. At first it was devastating, scary and sometimes filled with regret and what-ifs.

THAT WAS THE FIRST MONTH.

I realized I was grieving for my lost career and all that it had been for me ... that it was part of the grieving process I had to go through. In subsequent months, especially as fall and winter approached, I was sad at times but I also began to feel a sense of freedom. I had more time to get things done, more time to talk to my adult children, more time for them to talk to me. My husband, who continued to work, felt that he had more of my time unencumbered by the stress of my teaching job and all its responsibilities. And … I would be more available for my aging mom. It was turning out to be a really good situation.

I WAS DONE

I became aware that although I had absolutely loved my career as an educator and had been totally immersed in the process, that surprisingly, I didn’t have the urge to continue – not even as a retired substitute teacher like so many of my colleagues.

I didn’t want to teach at all. I was done.

As the popular phrase goes, “ I left it all in the classroom.” Everything I had wanted to do, I did. The giving, the caring, the nurturing, the educating – everything that I had given would live on in my students.

What next? Grow old? Get sick and die? These were

I had no schedule, I disliked yoga, and never gardened.

the thoughts whirling around my head. I spoke to some friends who were newly retired who said you had to have a schedule every day, do yoga every morning, walk/jog by the lake in the evening, garden a lot, try new hobbies ...

So I did the exact opposite. I had no schedule, I disliked yoga, and never gardened. I rode my bike instead of walking, decided to restart some long lost knitting projects, took aqua fit and caught up on some great shows. Life was good except I realized something was missing … purpose.

A NEW BEGINNING

I reconnected with a friend who is my age and a voiceover artist/actress. She began talking to me about voice work and acting. I said I might be interested and a new journey began.

This new/old friend began to mentor me and for the first time in a long time, instead of being the mentor I was being mentored – and it felt good! I had always loved words, in reading and speaking. She said my voice was a natural. I believed her and took my first course in voiceover work in April.

I realized I had a knack for voice work and in May I discovered I had a real passion for it and began to pursue other classes in voice, and added acting.

In June, I posted some of my voice demos on my Facebook page and suddenly I had an agent – someone who wanted to represent me as an artist. I was thrilled!

Instead of being the teacher, I was now the student and I could barely contain my excitement for learning!

My journey has also led me to writing for this magazine when I never thought I could. I was uncomfortable with it and never thought I would become a journalist of sorts, yet here I am after decades of teaching English doing the very thing I used to teach.

SURPRISING REWARDS

This year has been rewarding and eye-opening to the possibilities of life after teaching. All the skills I learned over my 30-year career have come in very handy. My ability to work with others, read the room, listen and articulate my point of view has been essential to my new state of being.

I love the space created in my head to think, reflect and do. It is really amazing to not have my thoughts crowded out by all the work stuff that needed to be done when I was in and out of the classroom. Relationships are so much easier when you have time, period.

Instead of being the teacher, I was now the student and I could barely contain my excitement for learning!

Constructing my day can sometimes be a challenge but it’s so amazing and rewarding that I can create my day.

I used to miss out on a lot. I missed out by not having enough time to work on something and having to short-cut it. I missed out on really good friendships because I had no time to nurture them. I missed out being my true authentic self.

Now I have the time to pursue anything I want to do. The time to dig deeper into the meaning of my life. The time to be as lazy as I want to be and the time to just celebrate these moments.