Splendiferous Zeppelin Escapades

Well, this school year is over. It has been a great year for in all in all. Last year at this time, I was questioning whether or not teaching was what I wanted to do. My experiences were such that it took me the WHOLE summer (and then some) to get over being a little bit bitter. This year, I had a great experience. I have learned just how much I love teaching, Literature especially.

Sadly, as the year ended, I am a little on the down side. I won’t be teaching Literature next year, which makes me almost unbearably sad. I have cried one the way home everyday this week. (I’m doing better now though. It’s just been a tough week with all I had to do) I will be teaching Technology 6 periods everyday. I am the lead in the technology team, but that means I had to move out of my lovely orange literature room. So, I had to say good bye to a room that made me sometimes insane, sometime so very happy. This is the 3rd time I’ve have had to move classrooms since I’ve started teaching. Considering I’ve only been teaching for two years, that’s nuts. I will have had a different room for each year that I’ve taught.

I am excited for the summer, which is more than I could say about the last two summers. We have moved in June for the last 2 years, and I’ve been faced with 2 months of sheer terror and boredom. This year, I know that I have a job next year so I’m settled about that. I can get a part time job, and work on my house. I can’t wait. This is going to be the best summer ever.

So much has happened to Adam and I in the last year, and I am so grateful for how the Lord has blessed us. We both have good jobs, and the ability to work. We have our health and each other. We have our lovely home and sometimes (most times) wonderful dog. We have been so blessed, and I know that much is required because of it.

For those of you who read this, don’t worry if it seems random. It is mostly just for me to reflect on the year and what is ahead.

I don’t like doing chores.  Vacuuming’s ok, mopping isn’t all that fun, and doing dishes is nigh unto loathsome; consequently, since we’ve moved into our new house, I’ve been dreading the coming of spring because that means…more chores!  You know, the mowing, the watering, the weeding, the pruning, etc.  I never enjoyed doing any of those things when I was a kid, and I didn’t expect to now.

Well, I couldn’t have been more wrong.  I just spent over an hour outside tonight weeding(a weeknight, while my wife was gone no less!), and I LOVED IT!  I also clipped off about 200 dead buds off our flowering bushes and watered parts of the lawn.  I’ve noticed that since I started mowing about a month ago, I actually look forward to it each Saturday.

So…I have to think that the reason I like doing these things so much is that it is helping to keep things alive and strong.  Most chores inside are just keeping things clean, and while that’s important, there is something inherently more powerful in sustaining life in all living things around us.  I’ve often wondered if I’ll make a good dad, and I hope this is a good sign that I’ll take joy in caring and raising future little ones.  I guess it also relates to helping nourish the spiritual lives of those around us, for we all can’t do it alone.

Ok, enough blogging, I’m going to go watch the season finale of The Office and Scrubs!

Growing up, it was not uncommon to hear the phrases “I’m doing great, but it’ll get better!” or “I feel great! My body is so strong and healthy, it doesn’t get sick from !” (that last phrase was usually said in front of a mirror).  They are big fans of positive thinking and its effects on the physical body and environment.  This is why I’m so surprised that I’ve never really made the connection between this and negative thinking.

Could anybody ever reasonably expect a young kid to escape his childhood unscathed by the persistent, critical attitudes of his parents?  No.  The problem with some people (including myself at times), is that this principle doesn’t translate to our relationship with adults.  I was involved in a couple of situations today where a leader exuded this exact attitude in regards to some of those people he led.  I couldn’t help but think, “You claim to want people to be better; in fact, it is in your job description to help people be better, yet you consistently expect them to fail.”

I believe that no matter how hard we may resist, every thought we think defines who we are.  My parents have taught me well that attitude is everything, but my experience today helped me really internalize the dangerous path of negative and overly critical mentalities.