“Well, everyone in Coreseum needs a role. It’s my job to make sure those roles match an individual’s talents and interests.”
-Burton, The Blue Moon Narthex
When Cole, Sophie, and Britten arrived in Coreseum, they were curious (and worried) about what their roles would be. We all want to know where we fit. We want to discover what we do best. It would be easy if we had a role-finding machine like the one Burton used, but most of must discover our roles by trial and error.
I started experimenting with different jobs at a very young age. I was lucky. My dad owned an earthmoving business and his shop was right across the road from our house. By the time I was nine years old, I knew how to drive bulldozers, belly scrapers, and road graders. I got to watch my dad tinker. My first official job was power washing the mud off of the heavy equipment.
I had paper routes and, in early high school, I tried telemarketing for two weeks. That role definitely wasn’t a fit. I can’t remember (or I’ve suppressed) what I was even trying to sell. I asked my dad if I could quit. He said I had to find a new job first. That’s when I started working for the local blacksmith.
In a rural community, the blacksmith had to know how to fix anything a farmer could break. It was great! I got to learn how machines worked, how to weld, and how to repair almost any piece of equipment. That was a role that fit and one that led to the steel fabrication business that I own today.
What I learned from these early jobs is that I’m fascinated with how things work. I enjoy creating things, whether in the real word or on the pages of a book.
Want to discover your role? Try a few things out and see what you enjoy and where you experience success.