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| It is really tough losing contact with friends. When people move forward with their life it is something that just happens. I have lost touch with most of my friends from high school and college. I was able to get back in contact with on of those lost friends yesterday and it felt good to talk for awhile and hear what was going on in their life and their journey. I expressed how it feels like many other people's lives have moved forward, mine seems like it has stayed in the same place. This isn't entirely true, but in many ways it has and I feel like I need some personal growth. Spirtitually I definately need some more growth and socially as well. I want to grow in these areas this year and I would appreciate your prayers about this. I don't feel like I accomplished a whole lot last year though maybe I accomplished more than I think. I don't know. It sure doesn't feel like it. I know God has a plan for me and I'm trying to be open to that as much as possible, but I haven't exactly figured out what that is yet and I'm hoping I'm not shutting myself off from what it is he wants me to do. I pray I get a better sense of direction this coming year. More Bible reading will help I'm sure, which is something that is severely lacking from my daily routine. I've been challenged at church to do this and now it's a matter of motivating myself to start doing it. It shouldn't be hard, but I make everything else more important. That needs to change right away. | | |
| Last Summer and even more recently, since Christmas, I’ve become a huge fan of the show ‘The Office.’ I can’t say that I watch a whole lot of TV, but of the shows I’ve seen, it is the funniest show since Seinfeld; and I mean laugh out loud funny. Seinfeld is known for having funny and sometimes over the top characters. The Office isn’t quite the same. It’s the shear stupidity of a couple of the people on the show that make it hilarious. For those that haven’t seen it, Michael Scott(played by Steve Carell) is the regional manager of the Dunder Mifflin paper company in Scranton, Pa. He views himself as the best boss because he treats his employees as his friends and instead of being uptight, he is loose and funny. He tells jokes and tries to be funny, but instead is just inconsiderate and unprofessional. He always says the wrong thing at the wrong time and usually ends up looking after himself instead of everyone else. He is basically completely clueless and he is hilarious the whole time. The only person more clueless than Michael is Dwight, who completely worships the ground Michael walks on and who Dwight tries to emulate. Michael before he was boss worked as a salesman, which is what Dwight is. Despite Michael ridiculing and making fun of him, Dwight never relents from trying to get in good graces with Michael. Usually in the end, Michael gives Dwight something to do that no one else will say yes to doing. When it comes back to make Michael look bad, he quickly turns on Dwight and calls him an idiot. Of course there are several other characters on the show; each one displaying another personality type that you would probably encounter in the workplace. Together they make up a funny cast that plays off of each other fantastically well. Basically, If you haven’t seen ‘The Office’, go out and buy or rent Season 1(the 1st six episodes of the show) or Season 2 and start watching it. I doubt you will be disappointed. | | |
| Looking back on my last entry, I can’t believe how much different I feel about what I wrote and I wish I wouldn’t have gone so long with having the most recent thing I wrote being so negative. I prefer to be mostly positive. I am still substitute teaching, but I’ve learned to accept it and I don’t actually mind it most days. At the time of my last entry, I was getting jobs that were not the most pleasant and most of them weren’t music jobs. I’m happy to say that I get mostly music jobs now and that helps the experience much more enjoyable. I have my days, but they are few and far between. It still isn’t what I hope to be doing with my life and I still wish I got paid more(but then, who doesn’t?), but I’m at least somewhat content with it for now. I have an interview for a long term sub job on Monday. This will be my second interview in 2 and a half weeks, which is twice as many interviews than I had the previous 11 months so that is a good sign. The right job hasn’t found me yet, but I hope it will eventually. It would be great being able to go to the same place everyday for awhile. I like consistency and routine. I have gotten used to the routine of going somewhere different everyday, but that is a routine I wouldn’t mind giving up. Sometimes I can’t even remember where I was on Monday by the time Friday comes. I don’t know if that is a good feeling or not. The best feeling by far about subbing though is knowing I don’t have to do any work or planning when I leave a school at the end of the day. I guess that is a sort of laziness, but I do practice the trumpet when I’m at home so I am doing something constructive. That’s all for now. Happy New Year! Todd | | |
| I've officially joined the professional teaching workforce. Unfortunately, it has to be as a substitute teacher. After subbing for a 6 or 7 weeks now, I can honestly say that I don't like it very much. Some days I hate it, some days I don't like it and others I almost, sort of enjoy it. It really depends on the students. Those of you that have or currently are substituting understand. If the kids work with you and allow you to teach(what a novel concept), you actually can like what you are doing. I've had many more bad days in the elementary schools because the kids often won't stay in their seats, taddle tale on others, argue with each other, talk too much and refuse to do their work. It is so frustrating and makes me REALLY mad. I've had some music jobs and those are the jobs that are supposed to be fun, but if the kids make it impossible to get anything done it upsets me. It is a waste of my time. I don't even care about the money because it doesn't make the agrivation worth it. I've definately come to the conclusion that subs are underpaid. I guess when you consider how well teachers do get paid nowadays, the districts have to cut somewhere. The pay for subs has pretty much stayed the same for a pretty long while. I'm happy to report that today was a good day subbing. It was music and for the most part, the students made teaching possible. I wish there was something interesting to say about my life right now, but unfortunately it's pretty lame. I hope that this can change sometime soon. I wouldn't mind actually doing something. | | |
| The new year is upon us and even though I don't take much stock in making new years resolutions, I guess I'm going to make one. More on that later. First, I'd just like to thank those of you that posted comments on my last entry. It had been a REALLY long time since I'd posted anything and it was nice to know there are people out there that still read this stuff. I know that I often do not read what people have posted, but amazingly, when I decide to read what someone has posted, I learn something or have a new insight that stays with me for the week. Anyway, thanks! Back to my new years resolution. Here goes: My resolution is to BE A REAL MAN! Yep, that's what it is. Actually, it goes deeper than that. This year I'm going to find my true heart, the way God made me, so I can be the man I'm supposed to be. Many of you have read the book 'Wild At Heart' and know what I'm talking about. I finally decided to read it! I mean finally because I've actually had the book since before the Summer following my freshman year in college. I borrowed the book from Chris Tress. Many of you probably know who he is. His name is still in the book too! I never read the book that summer and even tried giving it back to him the next semester, but our paths never crossed so he ended up graduating and I still had it. Yet, I still never read it. It's over 4 years later and I'm now only starting to read it. I started yesterday and am through the first 60 pages. By the way, if any of you actually are still in contact with Chris; tell him I have his book and want to give it back to him when I'm done ACTUALLY reading it. I hate not returning people's things. Anyway, to make a long story short, 'Wild At Heart' is showing me that I am not really living out my life with the heart of a man. I'd like to say that part of me is, but I'm not so sure of that. I'm too passive a person taking the safe way out instead of searching for adventure and conquering it. I'm not being the hero and rescueing the woman in distress and winning her heart. I'm just sitting here being a boring piece of poo. Maybe there is a reason I never gave Chris his book back. Maybe I'm not supposed to until I read it and find the heart I and many others guys lost after our boyhood. It's time to get it back and be what God created me to be....A MAN! | | |
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