Cheap wine in a Mickey Mouse mug. Torn flannel pajama pants. Heavy heart. Check, check, checkity-check!
It is time to review a few of my life's disappointments thus far.
1. The moment I realized that my first love had a second date waiting in the wings on his senior prom night. (May 1997)
2. The moment I realized that my date wasn't ever going to pick me up on my senior prom night. (May 1999)
3. Losing the eighth grade student council election. I made an Acrostic poem with the letters of my name and everything. I'm still baffled by the loss. (October 1994)
4. Realizing that I would have to return to work, leaving my son in the care of someone other than myself. That one really hurt. (August 2010)
5. The day I found myself on a local television talk show as one of thirteen finalists in a contest to pay off your mortgage up to 350k. The man sitting next to me won. I sat in his residual confetti and wept silently with a television camera in my face. That was today. Today I did not win a contest to pay off my mortgage. Today I did not find a way to magically eradicate my debt, fix my oven, fence, or hole above window that lets in the rain. Today I did not receive the miraculous gift of financial freedom, thereby allowing me to spend more time doing the thing I love the most--being baby JAR's mom. Today I did not get to sit on the couch and describe my feelings to the television viewers of our region. I did however win tickets to a "lusty ghost tour." (October 10, 2011)
So... let's review.
I was never meant to partake in the joys of high school prom. Politics are clearly not my thing (though Acrostic poems definitely are). Leaving my child in the care of someone else will never be easy for me. I should only spend one evening drinking and mourning the loss of a yellow pages sweepstakes. And of course, I'm pretty damn lucky to have such a short list.
The jars are currently irrelevant. It seemed like a solid theme in 2011 and I'm too tired to rethink it. Also, should I even have a blog in 2020?
Monday, October 10, 2011
Monday, October 3, 2011
A Calling Beyond Money
Hello computer. Long time no type. What have I been up to? Oh, you know... this and that...
Keeping my nose to the grindstone, shaping precious young minds, working my fingers to the bone, burning the candle at both ends, believing that the children are our future, firing on all cylinders, working against the clock, imparting a lifelong love of learning in our future generations, and quite often, working hard for the money.
Just kidding. It's not about the money. I am intrinsically motivated by a calling that transcends paychecks and health benefits. See below.
Me: Howdy! I was just calling to ask about this red collections notice I got for a past due electric bill?
Local energy company: Yes ma'am. You haven't paid your electric bill in three months. If you do not pay it within 7 days we will be forced to shut off your power.
Me: (Chuckling with relief.) Well now, I knew it had to be some sort of misunderstanding! You see, I pay for my electricity with my daily investments in the future members of our society. You know, the children?
Local energy company: (Pause.) Ma'am. We require an actual monetary payment.
Me: Okay, but that's what I mean. I'm a teacher, so it's not about the monetary payments. Let me try again. You know that light in a child's eyes when she unlocks the magic of the written word through reading? That's how I would like to pay my bill! With the light from a child's eyes!!!
Local energy company: (Complete silence.)
Me: I want to pay you with the smiles of 24 small children when they earn an ice-cream party for their hard work and perseverance at following recess rules!! I want to pay you with the feeling of small sticky fingers reaching up for yours while walking in the hallway!!! I want to pay you with the smell of 40 freshly sharpened pencils!!!! I want to pay you with the unsullied inquisitiveness and curiosity of a young learner!!!!! (Begins to quietly sob.)
Local energy company: (Dial tone.)
So as you can see, mine is a profession beyond money.
My next project is to harvest the energy from manual pencil sharpeners and use it as an alternative power source in my home. The power company can suck it.
(cue music...)
Keeping my nose to the grindstone, shaping precious young minds, working my fingers to the bone, burning the candle at both ends, believing that the children are our future, firing on all cylinders, working against the clock, imparting a lifelong love of learning in our future generations, and quite often, working hard for the money.
Just kidding. It's not about the money. I am intrinsically motivated by a calling that transcends paychecks and health benefits. See below.
Me: Howdy! I was just calling to ask about this red collections notice I got for a past due electric bill?
Local energy company: Yes ma'am. You haven't paid your electric bill in three months. If you do not pay it within 7 days we will be forced to shut off your power.
Me: (Chuckling with relief.) Well now, I knew it had to be some sort of misunderstanding! You see, I pay for my electricity with my daily investments in the future members of our society. You know, the children?
Local energy company: (Pause.) Ma'am. We require an actual monetary payment.
Me: Okay, but that's what I mean. I'm a teacher, so it's not about the monetary payments. Let me try again. You know that light in a child's eyes when she unlocks the magic of the written word through reading? That's how I would like to pay my bill! With the light from a child's eyes!!!
Local energy company: (Complete silence.)
Me: I want to pay you with the smiles of 24 small children when they earn an ice-cream party for their hard work and perseverance at following recess rules!! I want to pay you with the feeling of small sticky fingers reaching up for yours while walking in the hallway!!! I want to pay you with the smell of 40 freshly sharpened pencils!!!! I want to pay you with the unsullied inquisitiveness and curiosity of a young learner!!!!! (Begins to quietly sob.)
Local energy company: (Dial tone.)
So as you can see, mine is a profession beyond money.
My next project is to harvest the energy from manual pencil sharpeners and use it as an alternative power source in my home. The power company can suck it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)