Hopelessly I was being with a class of wild senior year girls as they threw paper and shouted loudly with laughter. No one seemed to care about who would step into the classroom, let alone listen to me. And being a teacher was the last choice of my occupations. I wanted to be a writer. But when I arrived in London, teachers in this community were badly needed.

However hard I tried to manage a normal teaching , their facial expressions told me that it was in vain. For the previous 2 months, as soon as the bell finally rang, I rushed to the staff room, red with anger. The other teachers weren't surprised. "That's Top Naughty, the most difficult class in the whole school."

But I was reluctant to give up. I decided to abandon formal teaching and lessons. Instead, I brought topics for class discussions. Two of the liveliest talks were: the arguments they had with their parents and their choices when being in dilemma. For the first time in my memory they were serious, sharing about their lives and behaving as a mature adult. I was fascinated. Therefore, I had them write about themselves. As time went on, their essays became a bridge between us. I admired their humor, determination and perspective, and meanwhile I thought they appreciated my interest in their lives.

The musical My Fair Lady (窈窕淑女) was playing in the West End, I asked if they'd like to see the musical. They thought I was joking and did not take it seriously, since no teacher had ever suggested taking them out. A few weeks later, Top Naughty and I were sitting in a theatre. They loved the music and the main character who changed herself from the wildest to the most elegant. It was the highlight of their year, and they talked about it for the rest of their last year.

Near the end of their senior year, someone knocked on the door of the staff room

After a 3-month summer vacation, an letter send by the school arrived when I was packing my luggage.

Amy is good at making pies, which got her hired at the Good Times restaurant months ago. And she was often regarded as the best worker there. Recently, she became the supervisor at the restaurant. She was kind and friendly to all the other workers and the customers.

One morning, Amy was taking orders when she overheard a conversation. “What you did there was great, Mason! It was hard to carry the old lady safely out of the fire. For a moment, I thought you were gone, my friend,” one man said. To this, the other man replied, “Yeah, it was difficult, but that’s our job. And you were the hero today, Gordon. You carried that girl on your shoulder and her dog in your hand. It’s going to be on the front page tomorrow, I’m telling you.”

From their clothing and conversation, Amy knew they were firefighters. And she quickly realized that they had been talking about the previous night’s fire at the old motel on the other end of the road. Then the man named Gordon continued, “I don’t care about being in the papers. The little girl and her dog reminded me of my own daughter. She’s constantly asking for a dog, too.” Amy was moved by the courage and sincerity of the two men. She wanted to show her appreciation for their selfless service.

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“How about helping pay for their meal?” she wondered.

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Then she went to the cashier and secretly paid for their meal.

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One Person/ Multiple Careers

In an art show at a gallery, Gedvile Bunikyte is among the crowd, introducing her latest works on exhibit. However, her talents extend to far more than her beautifully geometric(几何图形的) artworks. Bunikyte is what is known as—someone who has multiple talents, which she has turned into professional careers, each separated by a"slash" in her job title.

It has become common for people to have a hard time describing what they do for a living, with an increasing number of work-related labels attached to each individual. The slasher culture has infiltrated(渗透) every industry. The "lawyer/ fashion blogger' combination may seem contradictory to some, but makes perfect sense to multi-passionate millennials(千禧一代). Slash careers are an interesting concept when it comes to work-life balance and satisfaction, which has little to do with time spent in areas, but more to do with fulfillment across various areas that make up feelings of balance in one's life.

Slash careers can also make you more desirable to an employer. They give you greater creativity and a broader skill set. Companies are always looking for self-starters and innovators on their teams to help them get to the next level. People who have taken the initiative to develop a slash career are more likely to bring those qualities into their office.

Furthermore, it's no secret that millennnials are struggling with money. Americans aged between 18 and 34 had higher rates of being late with mortgage payments, overdrawing checking accounts,and having trouble with medical costs. A slash career might not help with the financial literacy, but it could help pay some of those bills.

The possibilities of slash career options are truly limitless. However, However, Marci Alboher, the author who popularized the phrase “slash career,” believes it's better to deeply immerse oneself in a particular career, and then layer in another slash. Personally, when I look back on my own slash career, I find this to be true as well. I began as a mental health counselor, which led to consulting opportunities. Eventually, I made money from my blog and became a social media influencer.