This article presents aspects of professional development, using a narrative case-history approach. It represents the author's own case as an illustration of the kind of integrative experience that may occur as women assume professional careers. In this article, the author weaves the scholarly and theoretical components into the reality of a lived experience, a tapestry of her life, and an autobiographical study. This article represents a partial view into how Symbolic Interaction Theory (SIT) enabled her, one music educator, to integrate new learning processes into the dialogue with self. Reading books and articles, and observing others in social environments led to a reassessment of self. Although SIT was the "vehicle" used in this case, the author realizes that other paradigms could be used to analyze life-long socialization processes. (Contains 3 figures.)