So, it's official. I start my new job May 1 and fly to Hawaii in the end of April. So much to do before then. Selling, donating, packing all of our accumulated belongings. I guess I should get to it. Hopefully I'll have the time and motivation to post on here more once I move. Keep those who are interested up to date on my new life in Hawaii (The HI Life).

Moves

I needed a place to say this. The mountain tops I usually use to shout my news have been temporarily denied me. I hold no grudge and voluntarily agreed to refrain. So I have found a new mountain top. An old mountain top that I have long been away from. It's more remote and less likely to be stumbled upon. I'll shout my news, knowing (hoping) there's no one around to hear it. 


It's not for certain and the lack of certainty has diminished some of my energy around it. There is yet another step to take and I'm nervous that I may not be up to the challenge.


TLBF may be moving to Hawai'i. I'm excited and I think it will work out, but there is still doubt. I applied and got an interview about 3 weeks later. The e-mailed communications gave me the impression that with the interview I would get a job offer. I was excited and confidant that the interview would go well. I suppose it did. I was invited to attend a hiring seminar that will be held in California. There will be more people attending the seminar than there are job openings. There is the possibility I will pay to fly to California, participate in all the activities, training, and role-plays and still not get the job. I'll just have to fly home and look somewhere else. 


There is still the confidant part of me though. The part saying this trip to California will be fun. I'll get to visit family and friends, meet new people who will end up being co-workers, and play a bunch of games that I have gone to college to learn how to play. It's saying that I know what to do, I know how to do it, and all I really have to do is step forward and get it done. I will learn new things, practice old skills, and maybe even teach some people a thing or two. How will this not be fun?


It will be almost 4 days of sleeping, eating, training with competition for the same jobs. Almost 4 days of not knowing if I can actually trust these people to be friends. Almost 4 days of possibly being stabbed in the back because they think it will give them an edge in being hired. I'm not deceitful. I'm honest, straightforward, compassionate, and friendly. I don't want to be taken advantage of by someone. 



I think this is the job that I need though. Although it is going to take a lot of time, stress, and money to move to Hawai'i, it is the next step in getting TLBF up and running. It will be a great learning experience for me and a place I think I can really make a difference. I honestly feel like I'm the perfect candidate for the job. Well, no, I feel like I'll be perfect for the job. Once I'm out there doing it, interacting with the students, I'll do well, I'll make a difference. I just have doubts that they will see it. I doubt that I'll be able to show them. I doubt that I'll be the perfect candidate even though I am perfect for the job (and the job is perfect for me). 


So, I have to practice letting go of that doubt. Practice being confidant and outgoing. I have to get up and get moving and get things ready to move to Hawai'i because in the Spring that's where I'll be heading and there's a lot to do to get everything ready. It's time.

Oh, the Places You'll Go! by Dr. Seuss

Congratulations!

Today is your day.

You're off to Great Places!

You're off and away!

You have brains in your head.

You have feet in your shoes.

You can steer yourself

any direction you choose.

You're on your own. And you know what you know.

And YOU are the guy who'll decide where to go.

You'll look up and down streets. Look 'em over with care.

About some you will say, "I don't choose to go there."

With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet,

you're too smart to go down any not-so-good street.

And you may not find any

you'll want to go down.

In that case, of course,

you'll head straight out of town.

It's opener there

in the wide open air.

Out there things can happen

and frequently do

to people as brainy

and footsy as you.

And then things start to happen,

don't worry. Don't stew.

Just go right along.

You'll start happening too.

OH!

THE PLACES YOU'LL GO!

You'll be on y our way up!

You'll be seeing great sights!

You'll join the high fliers

who soar to high heights.

You won't lag behind, because you'll have the speed.

You'll pass the whole gang and you'll soon take the lead.

Wherever you fly, you'll be best of the best.

Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.

Except when you don't.

Because, sometimes, you won't.

I'm sorry to say so

but, sadly, it's true

that Bang-ups

and Hang-ups

can happen to you.

You can get all hung up

in a prickle-ly perch.

And your gang will fly on.

You'll be left in a Lurch.

You'll come down from the Lurch

with an unpleasant bump.

And the chances are, then,

that you'll be in a Slump.

And when you're in a Slump,

you're not in for much fun.

Un-slumping yourself

is not easily done.

You will come to a place where the streets are not marked.

Some windows are lighted. But mostly they're darked.

A place you could sprain both your elbow and chin!

Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in?

How much can you lose? How much can you win?

And IF you go in, should you turn left or right...

or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite?

Or go around back and sneak in from behind?

Simple it's not, I'm afraid you will find,

for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.

You can get so confused

that you'll start in to race

down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace

and grind on for miles cross weirdish wild space,

headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.

The Waiting Place...

...for people just waiting.

Waiting for a train to go

or a bus to come, or a plane to go

or the mail to come, or the rain to go

or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow

or the waiting around for a Yes or No

or waiting for their hair to grow.

Everyone is just waiting.

Waiting for the fish to bite

or waiting for the wind to fly a kite

or waiting around for Friday night

or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake

or a pot to boil, or a Better Break

or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants

or a wig with curls, or Another Chance.

Everyone is just waiting.

NO!

That's not for you!

Somehow you'll escape

all that waiting and staying

You'll find the bright places

where Boom Bands are playing.

With banner flip-flapping,

once more you'll ride high!

Ready for anything under the sky.

Ready because you're that kind of a guy!

Oh, the places you'll go! There is fun to be done!

There are points to be scored. There are games to be won.

And the magical things you can do with that ball

will make you the winning-est winner of all.

Fame! You'll be as famous as famous can be,

with the whole wide world watching you win on TV.

Except when they don't

Because, sometimes they won't.

I'm afraid that some times

you'll play lonely games too.

Games you can't win

'cause you'll play against you.

All Alone!

Whether you like it or not,

Alone will be something

you'll be quite a lot.

And when you're alone, there's a very good chance

you'll meet things that scare you right out of your pants.

There are some, down the road between hither and yon,

that can scare you so much you won't want to go on.

But on you will go

though the weather be foul.

On you will go

though your enemies prowl.

On you will go

though the Hakken-Kraks howl.

Onward up many

a frightening creek,

though your arms may get sore

and your sneakers may leak.

On and on you will hike,

And I know you'll hike far

and face up to your problems

whatever they are.

You'll get mixed up, of course,

as you already know.

You'll get mixed up

with many strange birds as you go.

So be sure when you step.

Step with care and great tact

and remember that Life's

a Great Balancing Act.

Just never foget to be dexterous and deft.

And never mix up your right foot with your left.

And will you succeed?

Yes! You will, indeed!

(98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.)

KID, YOU'LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!

So...

be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray

or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O'Shea,

You're off the Great Places!

Today is your day!

Your mountain is waiting.

So...get on your way!

*** The above text was copyrighted in 1990 .

Stress at School

Writing an experiential education program from scratch is alot of work. Not so much stress that I'm getting ulcers or anything, but it has been a constant level of stress for the last 6 weeks. No escape for even a moment. There is always something to do; some other thing to figure out. First draft is due Friday, final draft next Friday. This year spring break will be more welcome than any other time in the past.

In class yesterday Ed read a note that a former student had sent. This person had graduated in 2005 (I think) and had just interviewed to get into a Ph.D program. She said that the interview panel had been more interested in her classes at WWC than the work she had done in graduate school. She also mentioned that while in graduate school she felt like she was much better prepared for the work load having gone through the Program Planning course.

If that really is the case I guess the rest of my time here at WWC will be pretty easy compared to this term. I might even consider going to grad school when I'm done. Plenty of time to ponder that one though.

Now, back to writing my program.

Day of Accomplishment

After being out of town for the weekend I was slow starting to get things done this week. Monday I rearranged my room a bit. Trying to find the right fit for things as I unpack. Harder to do when I really only have one room. Getting settled in though...

Today I went over to the County Health Center to get a TB test done and as it turns out I needed a tetanus shot. I had forgotten how much those hurt after a couple of hours. Now both my shoulders hurt (left one from something this weekend, just sore muscles I think). Also shot a couple emails over to WWC to make sure I have everything done that needs to be done in order to register for classes next month. Pretty sure that by Friday I will have everything squared away, or as the one person over at WWC put it, "all my ducks in a row".

Now to bake some bread, drink some beer and relax in front of the fire. Turns out that either tonight or tomorrow the house will be more crowded once again. Should be interesting...

Communication

Words are Windows

(or They're Walls)

I feel so sentenced by your words,

I feel so judged and sent away,

Before I go I've got to know

Is that what you mean to say?

Before I rise to my defense,

Before I speak in hurt or fear,

Before I build that wall of words,

Tell me, did I really hear?

Words are windows, or they're walls,

They sentence us, or set us free.

When I speak and when I hear,

Let the love light shine through me.

There are things I need to say,

Things that mean so much to me,

If my words don't make me clear,

Will you help me to be free?

If I seemed to put you down,

If you felt I didn't care,

Try to listen through my words

To the feelings that we share.

-Ruth Bebermeyer

New Year

This is going to be a great year.  First full year this century that I will be fully free.  I got to dance the old year out and the new one in with some of my best friends.  And, I am about to go pay off my car!!