Around twenty years ago I was living in York. Although I had a lot of experience and a Master's degree, I could not find {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(satisfy) work.

    I was driving a school bus to make ends meet and living with a friend of {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(me), for I had lost my flat. I had attended five interviews with a company and one day between bus runs, they called to say I did not get the job. "Why has my life become so hard?" I thought {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(pain).

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} I pulled the bus over to drop off a little girl, she handed me an earring {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(say) that I should keep it in case somebody claimed it. The earring {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (paint) black and said "BE HAPPY".

    At first I got angry. Then it hit me — I had been {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(give) all of my attention to what was going wrong with my life rather than what was right! I decided then and there to make a list of fifty things I was happy with. Later, I decided to add more things to the list. That night there was a phone call for me {#blank#}8{#/blank#} a lady who was a director at a larger hospital. She asked me {#blank#}9{#/blank#} I would give a one-day lecture on stress {#blank#}10{#/blank#}(manage) to 200 medical workers. I said yes.

    My day there went very well, and before long I got a well-paid job. To this day I know that it was because I changed my way of thinking that I completely changed my life.

    Is there such a thing as being “over-protective”?

    I can honestly say that my answer{#blank#}1{#/blank#}that question has changed dramatically（戏剧性地）since I became a parent.

    Before the birth of my daughter,I taught at a private school,often{#blank#}2{#/blank#}(view) my students as over-protected, worrying{#blank#}3{#/blank#}would happen to them when they went on to middle schools.

    Some did fine,and some did not.Some needed constant pats on the back,words of encouragement and extra support,which I{#blank#}4{#/blank#}(happy) gave.Others{#blank#}5{#/blank#}(satisfy) with themselves,needing little or no interaction（互动）with their teacher.{#blank#}6{#/blank#}for the most part,graduates would go on for higher schooling.

    I'd always taken it for granted{#blank#}7{#/blank#}their parents were over-protective,for they were the ones that still walked their{#blank#}8{#/blank#}(five) graders into the classroom and met them at the school gate.

    Admittedly,I laughed at those parents,thinking their children would never learn to be{#blank#}9{#/blank#}(dependent) if they didn't let go just a little.Then I had my own daughter. The moment I looked at her little face,I knew I'd do everything in my power{#blank#}10{#/blank#}(protect) her and make sure she always felt safe!

—No, I'm just a bit tired.