Transcription Work For Second Bloomers

Where I am now can be a great thing! I am entering my own second season…a second blossoming. A time to draw from the lessons learned and the wisdom of our years, a time to turn to the creativity and the gifts we often overlook and a time to stand back and think, what is it really that I want to do with the rest of my life.

Over drinks, one evening, with other 'second bloomers', we chanced upon a friend who invited us to attend an orientation on medical transcription. So, okay, let's check it out. We went and for me, the rest is history.

I am now a transcriptionist not only doing medical transcription but also general transcription. However, it was not a walk in the park. I encountered difficulties which seemed insurmountable and there were times when I wanted to call it quits.

First of all, I never learned how to type, let alone touch type. My fingers felt so stiff that I thought, at my age, I would never make it. Another perceived obstacle was my hearing. I just could not get words right, no matter how simple they were.

To make matters worse, I realized that the medical lectures meant rising at the crack of dawn almost everyday to study for the weekly examination. My being out of school for almost 25 years was definitely not an advantage and so either I quit or take the challenge head-on. My avowed intent to prove to myself that I can do it urged me on. With prayers, perseverance and the encouragement of friends and mentors, I made it.

Not only can I now touch type, but I can also do 40 words per minute. Considering that I have never studied so hard in my whole life, I passed all the medical exams with flying colors and most of all, I can now hear! So as the quote goes, "Nothing is impossible to a willing heart."

Transcription work is not what I expected. I thought it was going to be a boring, clerical exercise. To my surprise, despite the aches of typing, every day and every file, be it medical or general, it is always a learning experience and most often, an enjoyable one.

I go to work and give it my all. At the end of the day, I head for home with a sense of fulfillment for a job well done and most importantly, with no backlogs and deadlines to lose sleep over with.

Where I am now allows me the freedom to enjoy and gratefully appreciate the ripened sense of self that I have reached. Whether transcription is just a step on my path or my dream job, the skills I have learned and the completely new field I have ventured into may make my second blossoming perhaps even more beautiful than the first.

I thank the Lord for the all the gifts and talents, big and small, that He has given me and I say, "Not to me, O Lord, but to Your Name give the glory."

Written by: Cherry Blossom