Like Parker as a young child, my younger self thought the
concept of a vocation or “calling” only pertained to those called to the
religious life. I never realized that
lay people had vocations as well. Now,
as a young adult, I realize that everyone always had these vocations that were
embedded into our own “sacred souls.”
However, through time and age, one’s vocations are revealed to him or
her through her talents, other people, and her prayers. I agree with Parker’s assertion that our
image should not conform to something that it “ought to be.” My AP Government class and I have discussed
the word “ought.” Who determines how
something should be governed?
I believe that by living one’s vocation, one automatically
has success. However, success is not
defined by the amount of materialistic items one possesses but rather the
positive characteristics one shares.
Unfortunately, one may not always encounter good fortunes but rather hardships. Parker’s view states that hardships are “integral
to the journey itself” because through these incidents one sees her “weaknesses
as well as [her] strengths.”
