I feel like a different person today than I was a month or so ago. There've been lots of changes and personal challenges - even slight ones, that aren't a big deal to other people but are huge to me. I went to a concert and I went camping - both things that I'd said I would never do again. I'm not usually the kind of person who gives things another try; if it sucked, I probably won't do it again. But here I did.
This week has been pretty intense, as well. On Monday I had a really bad TOC experience, and on Tuesday I went back and fixed it. The message from the principal on Monday night: "I understand if you don't want to come back, but we need someone for that class again..." Of course I had to go back. I refused to let the setback (and twenty-one grade two students) win. Which, if you look at the previous paragraph, is already a change in my attitude. And, I am proud to say, I completely turned it around and had an awesome day. The kids made me stuff! (On Monday they didn't make me stuff. It was a pretty awful day for us all.)
On Wednesday I drove all the way to Campbell River by myself, which was long and lonely and something I have never done before. I answered endless, sometimes perplexing questions and confidently sold myself in front of five very intimidating individuals. Incidentally, one of the hardest parts of this experience was navigating my giant car onto the ferry. Those lanes are way too small for giant cars.
On Tuesday and Thursday I took a kayaking course, and on Thursday I DID A WET EXIT FROM MY KAYAK. Which I have already mentioned, I know, but I can't get over how significant a personal victory that was. I had to take off my glasses, because the instructor said they might fall off and sink to the bottom of the river, and usually that act in itself renders me paralyzed. (If you are blind as a bat without your glasses, then you know how I feel.) However, not only did I surrender my glasses, I also purposefully tipped myself over, into the river, whilst constricted by a kayak skirt, with severely limited vision, and hoisted myself back into the kayak, and emerged from the whole situation alive and victorious. Even though it took me about ten minutes to convince myself to tip over in the first place.
On Friday I went to work, which felt so mundane compared to all the other stuff I'd been doing, and so far today I've been flat on the couch watching movies and recovered from crazy muscle spasms because I did not stretch after the kayaking excursion and stressful Island driving. So clearly, I haven't learned everything about life that I need to in this past week, but I am still very proud of myself.
I think that'll be it for conceited, ego-maniacal posts for a while. Thanks for bearing with me.
