Ramblin' On

Get home from the first day of the last week of 1st Quarter...and its time to ramble on...

Reasons I Love My Job

1. The Students.

My students are bright, pleasant, cheerful, and open to learning. They have hope for a good tomorrow...and by spending time in the class with them, I am inspired to be a better person myself. My experience with teach has been, for some time now, a sanctifying one. I frequently fail...but to do the job well, as I look at my students, I know that I have more work to do...and I want to make a real go of it.

2. The Administration...seriously. I don't believe they even know I have a blog...but that is neither here nor there. This isn't about brownie points...its a very real acknowledgement. I have been blessed, throughout most of my time teaching, with excellent administrators. Sometimes I failed them...sometimes their bosses forced them to fail me. At Trinity...well, my bosses (from the very top on down too!) have the vision. They want education to expand the souls of the students...not merely equip them to pass tests and get jobs, based on the ridiculous suggestion that people with larger souls are more desireable people as a whole. They support the teachers in a way that separates them from many, many schools (I know this from stories from other teachers...) It is a blessing, and its one I thank God for regularly.

3. The opportunity to grow in this school. To some extent, the ceiling is set by my own ambition. Nearly every suggestion I have made regarding class content, class events, class structure, etc has been met with one basic question; how does it further the purpose of the class? If it is reasonable and if I can show how it supports the mission of the class...I get the green light. I am amazed by this approach towards growing the school...and excited by what that means in the years to come.

Creating Check Lists

I have the task of creating Check Lists for a few processes at my work.

I cannot complain--I even suggested making a few of them. But creating a check list is different from wanting a check list. The processes I am documenting are now a seamless (well, mostly seamless) work flow for me now. I now do, rather than think about each step...most of the time...

Which means that enumerating the steps is...tricky. I might do it one way one time, and a different way the next...and who's to say which order is better, so long as the results are the same?

I have decided to practice on other ordinary tasks...

Check List for starting the work day:

1. Get out of the car, lock the doors and put your key away.

2. Remember you left your lunch and return to the car after getting halfway to the building.

3. Repeat step 1.

4. Walk to the door on the West side of the building.

5. Use card to access the building.

6. Reflect on the fun of having your ID badge on an retract-able string...rather like a garrote...contemplate the meaning of this connection to the mafia in your work place...

7. Proceed down the hall to the third door on the right.

8. Use card to open door, and enter.

9. Go to desk and drop off bags.

10. Wake your computer up by moving the mouse.

11. Clock in at co-worker's computer.

12. Make your way to the galley, and proceed to try to find room in the common fridge for your lunch. Discover its impossible...start eating lunch...

13. Realize you left your badge at your desk...and are now locked out...start trying to attract the attention of coworkers without acting like a criminal trying to force his way into the more sensitive areas of the Credit Union...

14. Succeed in getting a co-worker's attention...get razzed for being locked out again...return to desk and thank the Lord its Friday...

Ah, work.

Update in Brief...

I am working at ECCU. I am working at Starbucks. Sheri's in school. We're busy. We're poor. We're happy. Aiden turns three in 10 days. He's amazing. I have decided what I want to focus on in my MA...if you want to know, e-mail me. Now I get to start studying for the GRE's and applying to schools. Life is good. God is God. I just wish I could blog once and a while...

Dear Blog

I miss you. I miss being able to think and write. Currently, I am working...but you're not forgotten. I'll get back...get back...get back to where you once belonged...

Ah, work.

So...I started work today. A 12 hour day for my first day on the lot...my feet are killing me.

There are many things that happened today to make me both laugh and cringe (both mostly on the inside). There was a customer who had a social security card belonging to a deceased person. And there was the fact that my general sales manager mentioned that I was a priority employee who they wanted to see succeed...because I'm white, and I make the third white person working on the lot. That was an experience I didn't think I'd have...ever.

But so far...no cars sold. I know--its only been one day. I'm not discouraged. Tired, but not discouraged. I am learning more about Toyota's than I ever thought possible. It is a comfort to be selling a good product.

I am currently relaxing, waiting for my dinner to finish cooking...watching Envy, a fantastic movie for those of us thinking about money and work a lot. Its not a bad night.

Doooode...I gots a job.

So...it took a Summer to find the right job to fill a very specific need...and the honest truth is, we are sort of jumping and hoping that all it promises it might be it in fact will be...but as of my first interview this morning I was offered a job at the number 1 Toyota dealer in the O.C., and after two more interviews, I decided that that was the position for me.

So...anyone need to buy a car? New or used, I got what you need. The great thing, especially if I can make it work for us, is that I'll be making a living helping people avoid feeling the awful stress of buying a car from someone they fear is only trying to milk them for every cent he can get from them.

My only problem is (and its a silly problem in a way) I have hard time anytime I start doing a job whose overall goal is generally to make a good living. I feel as if my life has lost purpose, as if I have instantly become a suit who is living for the next new thing he can buy. Of course...that's not an accurate summation of the situation. I am providing for my family...and as I said, I can do my job to help others, rather than use them. But every now and then, I have to remind myself of that important reality...because I can lose steam quickly if I forget that a job that earns money isn't a bad thing.

The other problem is...as I will be working weekends (and especially as Labor Day weekend should be a great time to start a career in sales)...I will probably have to miss, if not all, at least large chunks of one of my favorite events of the year...the aforementioned Homer Marathon.

Sigh.

Sometimes being a grown-up isn't as much fun as it sounds. Maybe I can read the Illiad to Aiden...