The first year

Well, the first year at my new school is rapidly coming to its end. Ups and downs don't even begin to cover it, but I have to say I still feel the way I did when I started - I'll eventually retire from this mess with a smile on my face. You see, I actually LIKE my job, my boss, MOST of the people I work with, and the population I serve. Maybe it's my frame of reference, but I can say I have been at both ends of the educational spectrum and being here in the middle, so to speak, is just fine with me. As far as retirement goes, I have about 18 more years before that even becomes a feasible possibility, and I know that much can change in that amount of time, but what I am hoping does NOT change is my desire to be here and my attitude about the work I am doing. It has been hard to see some people struggle with what we are doing here, and even harder to see some of the really good people get the shit end of the stick (one in particular, and damned if I'm not going to miss the crap out of you lady)! But at the end of the day, I want to still be able to pick up the phone when my mom calls and honestly be able to tell her, "Yeah, mom, I had a real good day! I made the right choice."