July Storyteller: The Final Chapter Begins: Transitions & Passages
- Merry Sorrells
- Jul 29
- 6 min read
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Dear Community of Friends,
Last winter, after a good deal of thought and prayer, I took the bold step of letting my school know that I would only serve one more year as Head of School. Though not retiring, exactly, I wanted to return home to New Orleans and pursue some new career ideas. My intention was to spend the year (this coming school year) helping our Associate Head prepare to step into the position of Head. It seemed like a perfect plan, and we all celebrated!
The best laid plans, right!?
It was two days before graduation when our newly appointed Middle School Principal let us know that she would not be able to serve as planned. We were crushed, and it appeared that we were suddenly left without options. We had spent the better part of the year on the search process, and it was too late in the school year to start another search.
The senior members of our leadership team quickly pulled together to begin creating a new plan. We left the meeting stymied! That evening, we all went home to pray for an answer. Suddenly, in the middle of my prayerful search, a light went off. I could leave my position as Head of School early and become the Interim Middle School Principal. While our newly named Head of School could begin his new post early, too. He was ready, and so was I. It felt like a fine plan and one that would meet the need beautifully. It was unanimously agreed upon by the leadership team, and we all moved deliberately in that direction.
After the announcing and congratulating were finished, a sobering realization came over me. I have never been a Principal, and though I’ve worked with and guided Principals for decades now, I have never walked that walk.
These past several weeks, I have come to the realization that it is very different from being a Head of School, and I have a great deal to learn to be able to do it well. This transition is intimidating and exciting at the same time. I have to trust that this prayerfully arrived at solution is a divinely guided direction.
In her writings, psychologist Carol Dweck stated, “The hallmark of successful people is that they are always stretching themselves to learn new things.” Well, this is a stretch for me, and I need to dig deep to reach new heights. This has been a summer of reading and research, seeking support from others, and opening my thinking to new vistas. It’s an unexpected way to close out this chapter of my career, and a fun one.
A past experience comes to mind. I love to ride my bike on the levees of New Orleans. One day, I was flying along with the warm wind wafting in my face when the chain on my bike suddenly dislodged from the derailleur. I found myself ungeared, literally and figuratively. Not being an expert on bike mechanics, and finding myself alone and miles from home without a cell phone, I was forced into a transition of thought. I needed to think like a bike mechanic, and I needed to use my problem-solving skills to understand how the chain and gears on a sophisticated speed bike function. Shifting my thinking from a sense of hopelessness to one of curiosity and capability turned a bleak situation into a triumphant one. I spent a few minutes studying the situation. Eventually, I flipped my bike over, found the smallest gear and cog on the derailleur, placed the chain back on the teeth of the track, and slowly moved the pedals backward. The solution did not come on my first attempt, mind you, it was more like my fifth. Soon, though, I was on my way, soaring down the path again. The abrupt ending of my bike ride turned into an opportunity for a new beginning, a new understanding of how things work, and a burst of pride and gratitude.
I have been reading a book called Transitions, Making Sense of Life’s Changes by William Bridges, PhD. There are notes throughout the chapters by bestselling author Susan Bridges. It was recommended to me by a friend who had read it before making an important career change. I took up reading it this summer as I prepare for these big life transitions of my own. The authors point out that we are living in a fast-paced world in which change has become the norm. In her notes, Susan Bridges points out that “Changes today are faster, simultaneous, and more complex. Acceleration is overriding our natural capacity to assimilate changes and, therefore, throws us into transition. Long-term stability is a dream.” I have to agree that life is moving fast and change seems constant, and not occasional. We see evidence of this all around us. Advances in technology and the acceleration of change are pushing us to commit to continuous learning.
My thinking on this topic finds me combining the philosophies of William Bridges, Susan Bridges, Carol Dweck, and adding the essential ingredient of prayer. William and Susan Bridges teach us that “…every transition is an ending that prepares the ground for new growth and new activities.” Carol Dweck reminds us that by adopting a growth mindset, individuals view change as an opportunity for development rather than something to fear or resist. And, my prayerful studies have assured me that, “Progress is the law of God, whose law demands of us only what we can certainly fulfil.” (Science and Health, p. 233)
I asked AI to create a chart to explain the generational approaches to change:
Generation (Birth Years) | Core Experiences That Shaped Them | Typical View of Change | Strengths in Change | Challenges in Change |
Baby Boomers (1946–1964) | Post-WWII growth, civil rights, space race, stable careers | Prefer stability & incremental improvements | Loyal, disciplined, experienced | May resist rapid or tech-driven change |
Generation X (1965–1980) | Economic recessions, rise of personal computing, corporate downsizing | Pragmatic and cautious but adaptable | Independent learners, problem solvers | Sometimes skeptical of large-scale reforms |
Millennials (1981–1996) | Internet and social media boom, 9/11, Great Recession | Comfortable with frequent change if purposeful | Collaborative, value-driven, tech-savvy | Can become frustrated with slow or bureaucratic change |
Generation Z (1997–2012) | Smartphones from childhood, social media, global crises | Expect fast, continuous change | Digital natives, innovative, flexible | May lack patience with gradual processes |
Generation Alpha (2013+) | AI, automation, climate urgency, personalized learning | See change as constant and expected | Creative, adaptive, self-directed | Still forming long-term perspectives on stability |
Throughout our lifetimes, we are presented with many endings. With the right outlook, we can turn those endings into new growth and new adventures. Today I find myself embracing change once again as I step into a new and unfamiliar role. Our lives are rich with changes and transitions. Though born a Boomer, I fall in with Generation Alpha by agreeing that we need to seize change and transition by being creative, adaptive, and self-directed, if we are to be successful in our journeys forward. Middle School here I come!
Thank you for being a part of my story.
Until next time,
Merry
P.S. While trying to explain my bike fixing process, “derailleur” and “ungeared” are two new words I happened upon while writing this story, and I love using them!
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