Some of life’s lessons have to be learned the hard way….it would seem to be the only way for the most important ones.

In several life situations, I have found that my priorities don’t always match up with other people’s priorities.  It’s not for me to say where someone else’s focus should be, but when you’ve entered into an agreement with someone and they don’t consider that agreement to be a priority, it’s hard to overlook.

I understand that some people’s lives are much busier than mine.  But when I put a directed effort toward fulfilling an agreement I’ve made and others don’t respond in-kind, it’s difficult to continue to put forth that same effort.  I know I’m powerless over others, but I do need to examine whether it’s in my best interest to continue my involvement with certain people, places, and things.

That’s not to imply that others are wrong and I am right, but the fact is some things in life just don’t work out the way you might have hoped and planned.  When others are inconsistent with following through, perhaps it’s a detour sign telling me to focus my energies in another direction.

So for today, I’ll continue to do the next right thing, look forward to other opportunities, and know that some parts of life no longer serve any beneficial purpose and perhaps were never meant to be what I thought they might.

David Lee

Today marked an important day to remember, my last day teaching in the classroom in 2010.   I really didn’t know what the future would hold for me and now at this point, I can say it’s been quite an adventure.

An important of my retirement has been staying active in the classroom setting.  In the past seven years, I have done eleven interim positions, the longest of which last three-quarters of a school year.  Five of those long-term assignments were for teachers out on maternity leave, including two stints for one teacher.  Each assignment has brought its special challenges, the foremost of which is saying goodbye all over again when the assignment is completed.

I’ve had countless days of substituting for teachers, many of whom I’ve gotten to know quite well, some of which I formerly taught with before retirement.  I have subbed one day in a second grade class, but for the most part have stuck with what I know, upper elementary and middle school.  There are some assignments I remember more than  others, including one where there were no lesson plans, no seating charts, no class rosters.  But for the most part, you know the teacher you’re working for has put a lot of thought into what you’ll be doing that day.

I did take a retirement trip right after leaving the classroom, that period of time when you’re not allowed to work in the school system.  I traveled to six major league baseball games in seven days and thoroughly enjoyed each city we visited.   I’ve also taken shorter trips, mostly to the mountains and of course took my camera along each time.  For the most part, I guess you could say I’m a homebody and I’m certainly OK with that.

I’ve also continued to work at my part-time job during the high school football station, covering local games.  This is a job, like teaching, that has somewhat limited financial rewards, but is certainly something I love doing.  Most recently, my love of photography has landed me a job as a free-lance photographer with the local newspaper, taking pictures of the nightlife in the area.  One of the most fulfilling parts of this job is when I meet up with former students along the way.  Most recently I recognized a student who chose a career in the armed services and is now thirty-seven years old, contemplating his own retirement from the military.

It’s not always easy to know what path life will take.   I wasn’t sure seven years ago and to be honest, I can’t anymore tell you today what the coming years will hold any more than I could then.  But that’s a part of the adventure of life, a life that I’ve learned to take one day at a time…and enjoy.

David Lee

It would seem that we all are in a constantly-changing world…and as the world changes, so do we.   These times of varied changes can fill one’s mind with fear of what might be on the road ahead.  Uncertainty about who we are and the role we are to play is one of the constants that can surround our minds.

In my own life, I have seen many transitions over the past fifteen years.  Not much about my life is the same as it was just a few short years ago.  Married, now divorced and single,,,,living with a family and now living on my own….working at one place for over twenty years, then deciding to leave for another workplace, then finally retiring….living in one home for nearly twenty years, moving, and then moving again….being in several relationships and seeing each of those conclude in one manner or another.  So many things are different – nothing stays the same, at least for very long.

I have many good memories of what’s transpired in the past and yes, some not-so-good ones that I’d just as soon forget, but that provide some of the most valuable life lessons.  I would not have been able to forecast or plan the myriad of changes that have taken place and keep that in mind as I continue to live my life, one day at a time.

My hope is that the days in my past have served some good purpose…that it all works together for good, regardless of how I felt about it at the time.  And when I have those difficult times in the present, I try to keep in mind they too are a part of my life’s journey.

Just some thoughts running through my mind on this day.
David Lee

The Connections and the Miracle of “Being”….

I can remember back to that night that, for whatever the reason, I decided to go to my high school’s basketball game.  I saw a friend who was with his girlfriend and her sisters.  He and I struck up a conversation and before you knew it, we were all talking.  A visit to a park after the game and…well, the rest is history.

As it turns out, I eventually started dating one of those sisters, eventually married her, and now have two adult children and three grandchildren.  From time to time I wonder, “What would have happened,,,or not happened, if I hadn’t decided to go to that basketball game that night?”  Chances are my wife-to-be and I would have never met and certainly wouldn’t have had the years we had together.

If we all think back to that time we met that someone special or anyone else for that matter, we can see how one seemingly small event in our lives caused the rest of our lives to be changed forever.

I also consider the lives of our parents, grandparents, and all our other ancestors for that matter. What if one single event had been different in the lives of our parents and they hadn’t met?  Then, of course, we wouldn’t be here.  You can even turn the clock back a bit further and think about both maternal and paternal grandparents. Where and how did they meet?  Did they make a decision on a particular day that resulted in them meeting one another?  And what about once they decided to spend their lives together?  What if things on a particular day had turned out any differently than it did?

It’s based on these thoughts that I realize it’s a statistical improbability that any of us are even here….and I guess you could, in a manner of speaking, call it a miracle.  All the many things that had to happen just as they did to end up with the outcomes as they were.

And yes, if I hadn’t met that one person, who knows where I might have ended up…but I can’t think of a world without my children and grandchildren, so I’m very thankful it worked out the way it did.

And those are my thoughts on that matter.

David Lee

The Gestalt Prayer

I do my thing and you do yours.

I am not in this world to live up to your expectations and you are not in this world to live up to mine.

You are you and I am I…..and if by chance we find each other, then it is beautiful.

If not, it can’t be helped

http://paulocoelhoblog.com/2016/04/27/each-to-his-own-destiny/

I’m nearing the end of my time away from the world of Facebook…Sunday will be the first day that I consider myself “eligible” to log on to the website again.   There was a point that I considered not returning, but I’m thinking along the lines of changing the way I look at the site that seemed to take up so much of my time.

I wish I could say that I’ve had some great epiphany during the time away, but it doesn’t appear that’s going to be the case.  Of course, it could be only after my return that I learn what the true lessons were for the time I spent away.

And yes, there’s a part of me that feels somewhat ridiculous for even speaking about a social media website in such a way.  I think we can tend to make it out to be a lot more than it really is.  But there are some distinct advantages it offers that make my return imminent.

Facebook pluses…..

• It gives me a chance to share the two daily readings I share each day:  “Twenty-Four Hours a Day” and “Language of Letting Go.”  I have had people share that they got a lot of insights from those readings and I consider it to be a service to continue to share those on a daily basis.
• It gives me a chance to share the many photographs that I take.  I was looking back over the pictures that I’ve taken since I’ve been away, trying to decide which ones to share when I return.  I’ve shared on Instagram and my WordPress blog, but I think a lot more people get to view them while on FB.
• I can keep up to date with what’s going on in the community a lot easier.  There are many events that I would learn about only through FB.  And it also afforded an opportunity to both share what events I attended and see what others saw when they went to events I didn’t attend.
• The FB messenger is one of the fastest, easiest ways to stay in communication with friends….I’ve lost contact with several friends while I’ve been away.  I tried alternate ways to communicate, but the FB messenger was always the fastest and easiest way to stay in touch.
• I also can share bits and pieces of what’s going on in my life with others….since I’ve been off FB, I’ve acquired two part-time jobs that I would like for others to know about….FB was always a convenient way to let others know what I’m up to….my #workflow pictures were always one of my favorites.

Facebook Minuses…..

• First and foremost, and I accept responsibility in this area, I spend WAY too much time on FB.  It seemed that it had become an hourly ritual to check to see what others were posting or whether or not I had notifications and messages.  Since I’ve been away, I’ve noticed moreso when others are doing that.  When I do return, I plan on limiting the amount of time I spend on the website.
• There does tend to be quite a bit of negativity associated with many people’s posts…whether it’s politics or religion or trash-talking someone else’s favorite team, it’s been nice not to have to see that on a daily basis.  Of course, I did learn that I could “unfollow” certain people, so there is an easy remedy to that issue.
• I think I probably could stand to get out and about more and actually have face-to-face contact with others and not use FB as a substitute for that…having said that, it does give me a feeling of connection with others and especially in the evening hours, makes me feel less alone

And so that’s my condensed take on the all of it…I haven’t decided whether to return on Sunday or Monday of next week.  I’m planning on attending church services and spending time with the family, so perhaps Sunday evening would be the most opportune time to log back on and see what’s transpired.

**** I will have to confess that I accidently did log into FB one time over the period of Lent.  There was an article in the local paper that several people had made comments about.  When I clicked on one persons comment, it did redirect to FB world…I realized what it had done and immediately shut down the page.

David Lee