How to begin

One way to begin: read some books, take some notes, draw some pictures.

Go to school, of course.

Then, you might take a job as a secretary. Or as a waitress. Or maybe you could work as an assistant at a film production company.

Your work might then finance a 6,800-mile journey to study exotic animals in their natural habitats — a childhood dream of yours.

And you’d be Jane Goodall.

* * *

No one is born Jane Goodall.

No one follows a logical path that leads to being Jane Goodall.

One becomes Jane Goodall. As she did.

And the early work might seem completely separate.

Except that it’s not.