I told you before that my son had been moved again. Getting information out of "the system" takes James Bond sometimes. We finally got a letter from him this past Tuesday. He seemed to have as hard time of writing about it as I am having a hard time typing it right now. Where he is at has a medical/psychiatric facility. He said that on September 29th he slit his wrist. He went on to tell us in a long letter how depressing things were and hopeless. He has no future. Only the present and that is all memories of what he has done and how he has hurt those around him. He talks about the vicious circle of racism in prison, dirty guards, and paranoia. It seems like the demons he carries with him will never let him be. My heart is broken for him. As parents, we are suppose to be able to comfort our children. I know that I cannot "fix" him, but I can't comfort him either. He can't have visitors now and when he is moved, probably won't be able to for awhile either. I pray that he is getting some counseling, but if it is like the medical care we have seen, he will just be told "don't do it again". Please pray for him that he will have the strength to just get through all of this with his sweet heart still intact and not hardened. This will probably even set back his release date to add salt to the wound.
This has been such a busy, busy,tough week at work. I'm glad it was only a 4-day week. I'm not sure that I could of squeezed another day out. It did keep me from thingking about our lives. We've had a series of extended family deaths and illness in the office. The 3 people around me were all out one day and I had to do their jobs plus mine. I also had some meetings and had to beg some help for my desk. It was probably good that others got a taste of it. It was full steam ahead. It was good though that I was too busy to think. I try really hard to put on a smile there and happened to have gotten several compliments last week. If they only knew what I was hiding. There are only a couple of people there that know about my son. They are administrators and I had just told one last week, because I want to be a help with some of the troubled teens. It's not any one's business and I know that I didn't really understand until I had been put into this spot. I don't want to deal with that right now.
Our nurse had to leave suddenly for a personal emergency this week as well. I was so afraid that a serious injury would come in on my watch. I can do the "mama things" like take temps, put on band aids, and tell them they will be fine and go back to class. I have a district first aid class this week to take. It's good just to have although I'm not looking forward to the responsibility that comes with it in the school setting.
Love on you children.
Later.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Friday, October 10, 2008
Ups and Downs
I'm sure by now that everyone with a computer has gotten the forward called "The Dash". This is the one that talks about the dash in between "Date of Birth - Date of Death" and how you use what is in between. Lately, I have been kinda "grooving" on this. I'm sure most people want their dash to be meaningful and with huge portions of love, fun, and happiness. So do I. Right now I feel like my "dash" is looking more like a "~". I just read a blog that a friend linked me to. http://sgirl79.blogspot.com/ I have always considered myself as being a woman of faith, but where do you get that kind of strength? I'm sure she is pulling it up from her toenails right now, but still you have to admire someone like that. It is a story that will change lives.
Hubby is out-of-state at his high school reunion. He sounds like he is having a great time roaming around his old stomping grounds. It was homecoming for his high school and also for his college. Two football games and golf in one weekend....he's a happy camper. He also got to visit his parents' old home. It was a big, wonderful turn-of-the-century home. The next door neighbors had always loved it so they bought it and are now updating. Would love to be there. They had sent us a DVD before of the work in progress and it was beautiful. That home hold great memories. He flies back home early tomorrow in time to go to work. (Sigh.)
This week has been filled with so many ups and downs that my tummy is having a field day. One huge "up" came last night when we got home from my son's football game. (Which he made some amazing plays in, I might add.) We finally picked up our mail last night and in it was an envelope that contained a diploma for my older son. He FINALLY has his GED. This is a huge, life-changing achomplishment for him and he didn't even get a ceremony out of it. Just a piece of paper, that he probably has not even seen, mailed off to his parents. I'm sending him a copy and will celebrate him in all the ways that we can. I'm so very proud of him. For a kid with learning disabilities and everything else he has going on in his life, this was quite a long, hard struggle.
After being excited over that, I felt this overpowering sense that I needed to check the website that shows really basic information about him. From that I learned that he had been moved again. Still farther away. Now he is 5-1/2 hours away by car. I have no idea as to why he was moved or if this is just a stopover to somewhere else. I will not be able to talk to anyone probably until Tuesday as Monday is a holiday and then they are sometimes very vague. We haven't had any letters from him lately so it is really unsettling. I just wonder what is happening. This is such a nightmare. I wish we could all wake up.
Really didn't mean for this to be such a downer of a post. The weather is beautiful here. I have a happy hubby coming home tomorrow. No school tomorrow so I have a date with my son. And I have two beautiful, healthy sons - one here and one away that now has a GED. But he's beautiful and healthy.
Later.
Hubby is out-of-state at his high school reunion. He sounds like he is having a great time roaming around his old stomping grounds. It was homecoming for his high school and also for his college. Two football games and golf in one weekend....he's a happy camper. He also got to visit his parents' old home. It was a big, wonderful turn-of-the-century home. The next door neighbors had always loved it so they bought it and are now updating. Would love to be there. They had sent us a DVD before of the work in progress and it was beautiful. That home hold great memories. He flies back home early tomorrow in time to go to work. (Sigh.)
This week has been filled with so many ups and downs that my tummy is having a field day. One huge "up" came last night when we got home from my son's football game. (Which he made some amazing plays in, I might add.) We finally picked up our mail last night and in it was an envelope that contained a diploma for my older son. He FINALLY has his GED. This is a huge, life-changing achomplishment for him and he didn't even get a ceremony out of it. Just a piece of paper, that he probably has not even seen, mailed off to his parents. I'm sending him a copy and will celebrate him in all the ways that we can. I'm so very proud of him. For a kid with learning disabilities and everything else he has going on in his life, this was quite a long, hard struggle.
After being excited over that, I felt this overpowering sense that I needed to check the website that shows really basic information about him. From that I learned that he had been moved again. Still farther away. Now he is 5-1/2 hours away by car. I have no idea as to why he was moved or if this is just a stopover to somewhere else. I will not be able to talk to anyone probably until Tuesday as Monday is a holiday and then they are sometimes very vague. We haven't had any letters from him lately so it is really unsettling. I just wonder what is happening. This is such a nightmare. I wish we could all wake up.
Really didn't mean for this to be such a downer of a post. The weather is beautiful here. I have a happy hubby coming home tomorrow. No school tomorrow so I have a date with my son. And I have two beautiful, healthy sons - one here and one away that now has a GED. But he's beautiful and healthy.
Later.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
My Little Boy
What a week! What a weekend! My little boy turned 11 yesterday. Where did my baby go? He was just here! He had a (non)sleepover Friday night. (That was really appropriate since I had spent all Friday night 11 years ago awake waiting for him to be born at 4:30 a.m. Saturday.) He had the typical sleepover with lots of fun, giggling, silly story telling, and a nerf dart war in the dark with flashlights. That is his latest passion and I have even been attacked by darts while I have been sitting here writing. I would say he had some fun.
Last night, the birthday boy had a football game and he got to play it in the high school stadium. That was pretty special! A stadium that seats 10,000 with about 200 parents "filling" it. Anyway, it was fun for them with the cool announcer and he got to run out in the middle of the field as captain and call the coin in the air. His best friend and his family came to watch so he had his own cheering section. His team lost by one touchdown, but they had a great time. It's all good.
He came in last week and said "Hey Mom, I have a date to the Halloween dance." WHAT????? He did this once before in the 2nd grade when some smart girl told him that he was her date to the 50's dance/carnival at school. I turned around to see her and her poodle skirt taking him by the hand into the crowd on the dance floor. The next thing I saw was him on stage with her dancing the jitter bug. And me without a camera. Who knew that the music teacher had been teaching them how to do that. But this day I was really a little thrown off. Every year he gets closer to the time of big heartbreaks, embaressing moments and hopefully, in the end, finding his partner in life. And just maybe I will be ready for it.......when he 35. Right now though it is just a reminder of things to come. The hugs and kisses will slow down for a while and the "I hate you" may even come out. I won't be his "best girl" anymore. He has been such a blessing and I just hate to see each stage of it move into the next one. I know this is what is suppose to happen but I really enjoy this kid.
I have been reading the blog of the sis-in-law of a friend of mine. They have been waiting for a baby through adoption. Their sweet son was born last week and they have just brought him home. This has so brought back all of the emotions of that time. You are so happy, grateful, vulnerable, scared, and excited at one time. It is pure adreniline. You cannot believe that you are holding this little one who has already been born in your heart. It is such a dream come true. There is also the little nag in the back of your head that this can't be real and someone will be coming to pick him up. Then there is also the self-doubt that you have to prove yourself fit to parent since this child did not come out of your own body. As if a working uterus somehow gives parenting knowledge. Then there is also the sadness you feel for the birthfamily. Some girl's hormonal heart is breaking. We were lucky enough to have had the opportunity to get to know and love our birthmom. The night we brought our son home, I rocked and cried for her. He was so perfect. I knew she must miss him. I also felt the full responsiblity to do well with this most wonderful gift.
Anyway, I am thankful for my son and I pray for the girl who will someday win his heart. Sometimes you just are blessed. Blessed with a little boy who shoots nerf darts at you because he loves you.
Last night, the birthday boy had a football game and he got to play it in the high school stadium. That was pretty special! A stadium that seats 10,000 with about 200 parents "filling" it. Anyway, it was fun for them with the cool announcer and he got to run out in the middle of the field as captain and call the coin in the air. His best friend and his family came to watch so he had his own cheering section. His team lost by one touchdown, but they had a great time. It's all good.
He came in last week and said "Hey Mom, I have a date to the Halloween dance." WHAT????? He did this once before in the 2nd grade when some smart girl told him that he was her date to the 50's dance/carnival at school. I turned around to see her and her poodle skirt taking him by the hand into the crowd on the dance floor. The next thing I saw was him on stage with her dancing the jitter bug. And me without a camera. Who knew that the music teacher had been teaching them how to do that. But this day I was really a little thrown off. Every year he gets closer to the time of big heartbreaks, embaressing moments and hopefully, in the end, finding his partner in life. And just maybe I will be ready for it.......when he 35. Right now though it is just a reminder of things to come. The hugs and kisses will slow down for a while and the "I hate you" may even come out. I won't be his "best girl" anymore. He has been such a blessing and I just hate to see each stage of it move into the next one. I know this is what is suppose to happen but I really enjoy this kid.
I have been reading the blog of the sis-in-law of a friend of mine. They have been waiting for a baby through adoption. Their sweet son was born last week and they have just brought him home. This has so brought back all of the emotions of that time. You are so happy, grateful, vulnerable, scared, and excited at one time. It is pure adreniline. You cannot believe that you are holding this little one who has already been born in your heart. It is such a dream come true. There is also the little nag in the back of your head that this can't be real and someone will be coming to pick him up. Then there is also the self-doubt that you have to prove yourself fit to parent since this child did not come out of your own body. As if a working uterus somehow gives parenting knowledge. Then there is also the sadness you feel for the birthfamily. Some girl's hormonal heart is breaking. We were lucky enough to have had the opportunity to get to know and love our birthmom. The night we brought our son home, I rocked and cried for her. He was so perfect. I knew she must miss him. I also felt the full responsiblity to do well with this most wonderful gift.
Anyway, I am thankful for my son and I pray for the girl who will someday win his heart. Sometimes you just are blessed. Blessed with a little boy who shoots nerf darts at you because he loves you.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Office Politics and Lost Boys
My bubble is burst. It took a whole month, but I have seen the light. Our office/school is not void of office politics as I once thought it was. I can see where I am being courted by both sides as they are testing the waters to see where I stand. I'm not stupid. This isn't my first rodeo. But I am very happy sitting this one out, thank you very much.
You know men have joked for years about women not being able to get along. They do it as well only we don't seem to enjoy pointing it out nearly as much as they do us. It is such a cliche'. I hate being a cliche'. It's like when they portray Texans we always have cowboy hats and oil wells. I have neither for the record. Or if there is an eye witness to a tornado it's always a toothless person in an undershirt. Sorry, I got off track for a minute.
Anyway, the woman who is "trying to open my eyes" has so much true drama going on in her personal life that I have no idea why she is wasting her time with this junk. Birdie, I don't think this is the "woman who know what is really going on". She's just a busybody. It is just irritating. These are grown professional women. Who needs it!
Back to the real world....I was afraid Friday afternoon that I was witnessing a true nightmare. We were all trying to finish up and call it a day. The doors were locked but I had not turned off my outside cameras yet. A woman was banging on the door saying that her son hadn't come home from school. I let her in and then she went hysterical. He hadn't gotten off of the bus and school had been out for almost an hour. I asked if she had checked with his friends. She said he had no friends. I asked if he was in football, theatre, etc. She said no, nothing except for band. I called the band hall to see if he was there. The director said no and he thought that he had been absent that day. I check attendance and sure enough he had never come to school. The mom and the band director both said that this was a really good kid and this was not like him. Having had a rebellious kid myself, I asked her if they had had a disagreement or anything. First she said no and then she said that his grades were down and they had taken away TV privileges. Anyway, the police were called. His brother had stayed at their house in case he showed up and she kept on the phone with him. They found his backpack and instrument case there. I was really freaking out when the police told her to tell him to check the attic and their shed. You know 13 year old with absolutely no friends and lost privileges.... I was so scared that they would find him there. I asked her if he had a bike and it turned out that the bike was gone. Then they discovered that his horn was missing from the case. To make a long story short, he finally contacted his older brother who was on the way out of town to a high school football game. The woman and the police finally left and I'm left with the thought of a 13 year old friendless boy with a horn under his arm and riding a bicycle away from home. What a lonely picture. I'm sure he will have consequences to pay, but I also hope that someone wakes up to see that he needs help and guidance, too.
I'm going tomorrow to visit my lonely, lost boy......in prison.
Later.
You know men have joked for years about women not being able to get along. They do it as well only we don't seem to enjoy pointing it out nearly as much as they do us. It is such a cliche'. I hate being a cliche'. It's like when they portray Texans we always have cowboy hats and oil wells. I have neither for the record. Or if there is an eye witness to a tornado it's always a toothless person in an undershirt. Sorry, I got off track for a minute.
Anyway, the woman who is "trying to open my eyes" has so much true drama going on in her personal life that I have no idea why she is wasting her time with this junk. Birdie, I don't think this is the "woman who know what is really going on". She's just a busybody. It is just irritating. These are grown professional women. Who needs it!
Back to the real world....I was afraid Friday afternoon that I was witnessing a true nightmare. We were all trying to finish up and call it a day. The doors were locked but I had not turned off my outside cameras yet. A woman was banging on the door saying that her son hadn't come home from school. I let her in and then she went hysterical. He hadn't gotten off of the bus and school had been out for almost an hour. I asked if she had checked with his friends. She said he had no friends. I asked if he was in football, theatre, etc. She said no, nothing except for band. I called the band hall to see if he was there. The director said no and he thought that he had been absent that day. I check attendance and sure enough he had never come to school. The mom and the band director both said that this was a really good kid and this was not like him. Having had a rebellious kid myself, I asked her if they had had a disagreement or anything. First she said no and then she said that his grades were down and they had taken away TV privileges. Anyway, the police were called. His brother had stayed at their house in case he showed up and she kept on the phone with him. They found his backpack and instrument case there. I was really freaking out when the police told her to tell him to check the attic and their shed. You know 13 year old with absolutely no friends and lost privileges.... I was so scared that they would find him there. I asked her if he had a bike and it turned out that the bike was gone. Then they discovered that his horn was missing from the case. To make a long story short, he finally contacted his older brother who was on the way out of town to a high school football game. The woman and the police finally left and I'm left with the thought of a 13 year old friendless boy with a horn under his arm and riding a bicycle away from home. What a lonely picture. I'm sure he will have consequences to pay, but I also hope that someone wakes up to see that he needs help and guidance, too.
I'm going tomorrow to visit my lonely, lost boy......in prison.
Later.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Men and Football
I am really having a hard time feeding this blog. This "work" thing is eating up my time. I can't believe that I have to do it for five days EVERY week. :) The weather is fabulous. I would much rather be outside tooling around and pretending that I had a tractor like Rox....and had the land to warrant it....and knew how to drive it.....maybe I don't want one either. That's beginning to sound like work, too.
Our son's football is taking up a lot of our family time. He has practices twice a week and then games on Saturday. Watching the practice last night gave me lots of things to groove on. I'm watching twelve 10-year olds in full gear being coached by about 6 dads. The kids - they are just excited to put on all of this cool equipment. The dad - this is serious, serious business.
I really think it is so interesting to watch the posturing of men around other men when a sport is the issue. Watch them. They stand there with their manly poses: feet spread apart and their arms crossed like they are Mr. Clean or something. Then there are the serious looks and pulling up the pants. (Some adjusting, but that's a whole other subject.) Put a football in the hand of one of them. All of a sudden they have to pretend that they are throwing passes. You know , they cradle the ball in both hands,the arm goes back with the ball, they have the follow through, they turn and the hand comes down...still with the ball in it. They use this move like a punctuation mark. Either that are they want to look like the young men in the underwear ads of the Sear's catalog. Then there is the part where they all want to coach a little. Somehow every man has some innate theory that they know the RIGHT way to throw, catch, run, etc. If they are so good, why are they not on NFL teams and making extraordinarily big bucks?
The best part is when they play a game with the boys. These men are so excited to prove that they "still have it". Wonder how many of them are soaking a body part the next day.
I have spent almost 11 years with this child teaching him not to hit, push, knock down, steal, or be mean. Now dads are coming behind telling them to do all of these things. They are telling my baby to be an animal and always attack the ball. Knock down everyone out of their way to get to what they want.
Anyway, I just think that men can be really strange characters when it comes to sports. Can't live with.....can't kill them.
Later.
Our son's football is taking up a lot of our family time. He has practices twice a week and then games on Saturday. Watching the practice last night gave me lots of things to groove on. I'm watching twelve 10-year olds in full gear being coached by about 6 dads. The kids - they are just excited to put on all of this cool equipment. The dad - this is serious, serious business.
I really think it is so interesting to watch the posturing of men around other men when a sport is the issue. Watch them. They stand there with their manly poses: feet spread apart and their arms crossed like they are Mr. Clean or something. Then there are the serious looks and pulling up the pants. (Some adjusting, but that's a whole other subject.) Put a football in the hand of one of them. All of a sudden they have to pretend that they are throwing passes. You know , they cradle the ball in both hands,the arm goes back with the ball, they have the follow through, they turn and the hand comes down...still with the ball in it. They use this move like a punctuation mark. Either that are they want to look like the young men in the underwear ads of the Sear's catalog. Then there is the part where they all want to coach a little. Somehow every man has some innate theory that they know the RIGHT way to throw, catch, run, etc. If they are so good, why are they not on NFL teams and making extraordinarily big bucks?
The best part is when they play a game with the boys. These men are so excited to prove that they "still have it". Wonder how many of them are soaking a body part the next day.
I have spent almost 11 years with this child teaching him not to hit, push, knock down, steal, or be mean. Now dads are coming behind telling them to do all of these things. They are telling my baby to be an animal and always attack the ball. Knock down everyone out of their way to get to what they want.
Anyway, I just think that men can be really strange characters when it comes to sports. Can't live with.....can't kill them.
Later.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Caring
Well, my husband thinks that I have found the perfect job for me. Actually, I suspect that any job that keeps me out of the house and has a paycheck would be a "perfect job for me" to him. That's another story though.
I was telling him about some of the kids there and how they are getting under my skin and I want to do something to relate to them and try to be an adult friend to them. You do get a bird's eye view of home life on some of these kids. They are getting to be the age that some start trying to go back home after the parents leave because they are upset. They don't realize that school may be their salvation during some of these hard family times. There are so many broken families and the kids are caught in the middle of adults who can't get along. We have one family where the only son has stayed in the family home and the parents take turns living there with him one week at a time. Sounds like a good plan, but the parents fight like cats and dogs. Last year it was so bad that a judge said that he was taking the son away from both of them. One of our counselors stepped in and let him live with her for a time to try to give him a chance at normal. This year they are back to the old plan, but trying to get along or at least being quiet about it. They are both nuts. The boy....he just wants to get away and he is begging for a boarding school.
You have to laugh at some of these kids though. Another girl that tugs at my heart really needs some special services but has not been identified yet by the school district. She has an outside diagnosis as oppositional defiant disorder. Isn't that just another work for teenager? Anyway, she has a habit of being tardy to class. I probably issue her a tardy at least 3-4 times every single day. She has all kinds of detentions, but they haven't seem to get her attention until this week. I finally saw a little reaction in her about it this week. I'm trying to understand her. She was going out the door after getting one more tardy and earning a Saturday detention. She says "This is stupid." I jumped on the chance to communicate with her and told her to come back and asked her why she thought that. She said that Saturday just wasn't good for her. That SHE had a life besides school! I just had to put my head down. There's no arguing with that. She is much too busy to deal with this. Maybe she could pencil us in on another day!
Anyway, hub came up with an interesting concept. When they first said that I would be working with 7th and 8th graders, I thought what have I got myself into. Give me the sweet little elementary types. Not raging hormones. But he said that I am at the perfect school. He reminded me that our son was in middle school when he started going off track. I can relate to some of the parents that come in telling me about their struggles. I see kids that have to be called out of class for a visit with their probation officer. I see kids that are embarrassed about having to go to the nurse every day for the medications. These are the same kids who soon will make the decision that they don't need that med and refuse to come get it. They don't want to be singled out. So the bottom line is, I hope that I am in a spot that maybe I can stop another child for going down that path.
The weather has been gorgeous around here. For all of you Canadian geese type people.....sorry. It is just gorgeous. The sun is shining. It's not too hot. I would love for it to stay this way although we probably wouldn't appreciate it to much. With football games on Saturdays and two practices during the week, I'm getting to be out and enjoy it.
We had dinner last night with three other couples that we have been close friends with for several years. It is really hard to find a night with all eight of us can get together, so this was special. The four women always get together for birthday lunches, etc. It was so fun to be with everyone. We all have a friend that is going through a terrible time and we are afraid that we are going to lose her so it tends to make us all a little more thankful for each other. This gal is very sick with not a lot of hope of getting better. Two years ago, she was a vibrant active mom. I saw her a couple of weeks ago and she looks like a skeleton. My heart breaks for her, her husband and daughter. You never know what tomorrow can bring.
Tell someone you care today.
Later.
I was telling him about some of the kids there and how they are getting under my skin and I want to do something to relate to them and try to be an adult friend to them. You do get a bird's eye view of home life on some of these kids. They are getting to be the age that some start trying to go back home after the parents leave because they are upset. They don't realize that school may be their salvation during some of these hard family times. There are so many broken families and the kids are caught in the middle of adults who can't get along. We have one family where the only son has stayed in the family home and the parents take turns living there with him one week at a time. Sounds like a good plan, but the parents fight like cats and dogs. Last year it was so bad that a judge said that he was taking the son away from both of them. One of our counselors stepped in and let him live with her for a time to try to give him a chance at normal. This year they are back to the old plan, but trying to get along or at least being quiet about it. They are both nuts. The boy....he just wants to get away and he is begging for a boarding school.
You have to laugh at some of these kids though. Another girl that tugs at my heart really needs some special services but has not been identified yet by the school district. She has an outside diagnosis as oppositional defiant disorder. Isn't that just another work for teenager? Anyway, she has a habit of being tardy to class. I probably issue her a tardy at least 3-4 times every single day. She has all kinds of detentions, but they haven't seem to get her attention until this week. I finally saw a little reaction in her about it this week. I'm trying to understand her. She was going out the door after getting one more tardy and earning a Saturday detention. She says "This is stupid." I jumped on the chance to communicate with her and told her to come back and asked her why she thought that. She said that Saturday just wasn't good for her. That SHE had a life besides school! I just had to put my head down. There's no arguing with that. She is much too busy to deal with this. Maybe she could pencil us in on another day!
Anyway, hub came up with an interesting concept. When they first said that I would be working with 7th and 8th graders, I thought what have I got myself into. Give me the sweet little elementary types. Not raging hormones. But he said that I am at the perfect school. He reminded me that our son was in middle school when he started going off track. I can relate to some of the parents that come in telling me about their struggles. I see kids that have to be called out of class for a visit with their probation officer. I see kids that are embarrassed about having to go to the nurse every day for the medications. These are the same kids who soon will make the decision that they don't need that med and refuse to come get it. They don't want to be singled out. So the bottom line is, I hope that I am in a spot that maybe I can stop another child for going down that path.
The weather has been gorgeous around here. For all of you Canadian geese type people.....sorry. It is just gorgeous. The sun is shining. It's not too hot. I would love for it to stay this way although we probably wouldn't appreciate it to much. With football games on Saturdays and two practices during the week, I'm getting to be out and enjoy it.
We had dinner last night with three other couples that we have been close friends with for several years. It is really hard to find a night with all eight of us can get together, so this was special. The four women always get together for birthday lunches, etc. It was so fun to be with everyone. We all have a friend that is going through a terrible time and we are afraid that we are going to lose her so it tends to make us all a little more thankful for each other. This gal is very sick with not a lot of hope of getting better. Two years ago, she was a vibrant active mom. I saw her a couple of weeks ago and she looks like a skeleton. My heart breaks for her, her husband and daughter. You never know what tomorrow can bring.
Tell someone you care today.
Later.
Monday, September 15, 2008
MONDAY WITH MR. JERK
After 25 years, I have finally figured out that Monday Night Football may be something to be embraced. Right now my guys are having a great time watching football with friends. I have the house to my self for a little while. This has become an infrequent happening since I started to work and today was a really good time to have a little solitude.
I had heard the rumor that the woman who had my job before me just didn't like doing it. I was surprised at this. She was really good at it, thought well of, seemed really happy, etc. She is still at the school, only in a different position. Today I may have understood.
Don't get me wrong, I do still enjoy my job - except for the getting up early and doing it every day parts - but seriously there are a lot of jerks out there. We have some of the most amazing parents who are there for their children, offer to do whatever to help, and will thank you for the time you put into their children. Then there are the people that think that as a taxpayer, you work directly for them and that gives them the right to treat you badly. Hey, I'm a taxpayer, too. I'm trying to do the best by my own kids and yours, too. Can you tell I had to deal with a huge jerk today? Too much of a jerk to totally go into and it would probably just get me all work up again. At least I work with a really good administration who is very supportive and encouraging.
Anyway, it has been an eventful Monday. I left later to work and arrived right at starting time, instead of the usual 20 minutes early. The first call was from a mom who had just left school and saw a suspicious man in a car in the parking lot. Figured it was just a male teacher :) but gave her the number to an officer since ours was on vacation. Then a football player comes in saying that he had been thrown to the ground by his face mask and now he couldn't move his neck. Did I mention that the nurse was out today? Told him to lie down and I would get him ice and call his parents. He really seemed pretty good except for a stiff neck and he said that he wanted to call home himself. While I am getting ice, a young girl comes in from the tennis courts in tears where she had done a swan dive mainly on her face. She had a big, bloody skinned up chin, and scraped knees and hands. She was really hurting and by the way, it was her birthday. Poor girl! Then we overhear the football player sensationalizing his injuries to his parents. Yikes! What are they going to think? Do I hear lawsuit? We got the principal involved and went through all of the procedures. The dad came in and he was actually pretty good about it. This was all before 9 a.m.
Then I had a call from a mom asking me to get her daughter out of class and have her ready for release. Family emergency. She had just gotten a call from the hospital that her husband was in critical condition and in the ICU. Mom shared with me that he had been sick for awhile and that they now thought it was pancreatic cancer. How do you tell your 13 year old that? This little girl is diabetic so I see her quite a bit checking her blood sugar.
So Mr. Jerk can just go off and yell at someone else. I will always be professional to him, but he will not be getting what he wants when he wants it just because he's loud and obnoxious. Hey, I have a job to do and I'm seeing where I can make a little impact on a kid's life. School is the emotional safe place for many when they don't feel it at home. I'm glad I can be here for them. Especially Mr. Jerk's daughter. She may need someone most of all.
Sure am glad the nurse will be back tomorrow though. Being the gatekeeper is tough enough for me.
Later.
I had heard the rumor that the woman who had my job before me just didn't like doing it. I was surprised at this. She was really good at it, thought well of, seemed really happy, etc. She is still at the school, only in a different position. Today I may have understood.
Don't get me wrong, I do still enjoy my job - except for the getting up early and doing it every day parts - but seriously there are a lot of jerks out there. We have some of the most amazing parents who are there for their children, offer to do whatever to help, and will thank you for the time you put into their children. Then there are the people that think that as a taxpayer, you work directly for them and that gives them the right to treat you badly. Hey, I'm a taxpayer, too. I'm trying to do the best by my own kids and yours, too. Can you tell I had to deal with a huge jerk today? Too much of a jerk to totally go into and it would probably just get me all work up again. At least I work with a really good administration who is very supportive and encouraging.
Anyway, it has been an eventful Monday. I left later to work and arrived right at starting time, instead of the usual 20 minutes early. The first call was from a mom who had just left school and saw a suspicious man in a car in the parking lot. Figured it was just a male teacher :) but gave her the number to an officer since ours was on vacation. Then a football player comes in saying that he had been thrown to the ground by his face mask and now he couldn't move his neck. Did I mention that the nurse was out today? Told him to lie down and I would get him ice and call his parents. He really seemed pretty good except for a stiff neck and he said that he wanted to call home himself. While I am getting ice, a young girl comes in from the tennis courts in tears where she had done a swan dive mainly on her face. She had a big, bloody skinned up chin, and scraped knees and hands. She was really hurting and by the way, it was her birthday. Poor girl! Then we overhear the football player sensationalizing his injuries to his parents. Yikes! What are they going to think? Do I hear lawsuit? We got the principal involved and went through all of the procedures. The dad came in and he was actually pretty good about it. This was all before 9 a.m.
Then I had a call from a mom asking me to get her daughter out of class and have her ready for release. Family emergency. She had just gotten a call from the hospital that her husband was in critical condition and in the ICU. Mom shared with me that he had been sick for awhile and that they now thought it was pancreatic cancer. How do you tell your 13 year old that? This little girl is diabetic so I see her quite a bit checking her blood sugar.
So Mr. Jerk can just go off and yell at someone else. I will always be professional to him, but he will not be getting what he wants when he wants it just because he's loud and obnoxious. Hey, I have a job to do and I'm seeing where I can make a little impact on a kid's life. School is the emotional safe place for many when they don't feel it at home. I'm glad I can be here for them. Especially Mr. Jerk's daughter. She may need someone most of all.
Sure am glad the nurse will be back tomorrow though. Being the gatekeeper is tough enough for me.
Later.
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