way too much fun

OK, clearly I've been having wayyyyyyyyyy too much fun with my blog. Good thing that work is slow the next two weeks and I can (sort of) afford it! I did get my tests graded on time, BTW--whew! :) I've been staying later to help some freshmen get ready for their first midterm exam, which has actually been kind of fun.

I love what I do.

I just need to put that out there, so when I have a bad day, I can remember it. I absolutely love what I do and at the moment can't imagine doing anything else.

When people ask me what I do and I tell them I'm a teacher, they usually give me a strange look. They then say, "What grade?" And I say, (depending on the year) 9th, 10th, 11th, or 12th, and the look gets very different. It's kind of a mixture of pity, shock, and the look you give a crazy person who's mumbling to themselves on the street corner downtown. I often get comments and questions like, "But aren't they BIGGER than you?" "You're so young! Do they actually listen to you?" "How on earth do you PUT UP with teenagers? I can't stand teenagers...." and "Better you than me!"

I guess my answers are
1) yes
2) most of the time
3) by having two things: a thick skin and a good sense of humor and
4) fine with me! :)

I love the fact that I never have the same day twice. Ever. I love the fact that often it challenges me and makes me frustrated. It keeps me going and lights a fire under me. I love the small victories I get to see in room 221--whether its a grade or just a smile.

Kind of the same reason I love tri--and so far am loving this training. I know there will be days when I hate it. Days when I wish I signed up for something else. Days people will say, "Aren't people faster than you?" "But you're so young--shouldn't you be doing other things with your time?" "I can't stand running!" and "Better you than me!"

My responses today to these questions are
1) yes
2) right now I can't imagine doing anything else with my free time
3) I used to, too--come on a run with me sometime
4) I don't know what my response to this is!

I'm often left speechless when people tell me that it's "better me than them." I don't know what to say to that one. It's the same thing I say when my friend in med school describes what dissecting a cadaver is like. But I really don't think it's "better me than them." I don't know how this story's going to play out. I don't know the ending and heck, I don't even know what next week holds. It's a mystery. I'm no expert. There are definitely a lot of people out there who are 100 times "better" than me at this stuff. But with IM it's not really about that (for me at least.) It's about the journey.

Never the same day twice.