Mar 10
18
Turning Points
I worked in a law office full-time a few summers ago. The attorney practiced estate planning law (preparing wills, trusts, etc.), and on his clients’ first visit, he showed them a video called Turning Point. The short movie starts with a room full of strangers, all named in a man’s will. Each received a small object and a note from the now-deceased man that represented a turning point in his life that those people had — although unwittingly — created for him, such as a shell left on the beach by a young couple obviously in love, which in turn helped the man re-commit to making his marriage work. Of course, the gifts, which were originally received with some surprise and a little complacency, actually helped their recipients “turn” their lives around a little bit. A small thing made such a difference for them.
I’ve had many, many turning points in my life, one of which always comes up when I tell people my “why I want to be a doctor” story. You see, if I hadn’t taken a certain class my sophomore year–a class which, mind you, I took because it looked interesting and fulfilled my science requirement–I wouldn’t have ever even considered medical school. That class was one in a series of events that led me toward this career path. That class was a turning point.
Now, did I go into that class thinking “I bet I’ll find this absolutely fascinating, fall in love with the study of the human body, and someday become a doctor”? Nope. But that’s what happened. (Well, technically, I haven’t become a doctor yet, but I’m working on it.) My life changed because I allowed an experience that could have been routine and insignificant — I mean, how many classes did you “have” to take that you don’t even remember now? — to influence my mind and heart for good. And can I tell you something? I am so happy I made the turn 
