I have to say, the last time I blogged, it actually felt very therapeutic. For anyone who is going through a rough time or two, I recommend getting out your thoughts on paper, or in a word document—just put them in words. It helps make sense of everything. Not only that, but it helps make things feel more manageable. Blogging isn’t a very private form of thought-purging, but sometimes it feels good to throw thoughts into the abyss. Even if I’m only connecting with a few people through these posts, it’s still nice to have that connection. Not to mention, it is also refreshing to be “real”—with yourself, and with others.
Anyway, let me dig in to the heart of this post by offering a little epilogue from my previous post...
It’s not easy to get out of a slump. Throughout the tough times of this transition I have needed to be patient with myself and with the situation. Even when I knew what changes needed to take place, I could not expect change to happen overnight.
I guess I could put it this way:
18. Recognizing what changes need to be made in your life is a great start to putting yourself onthe right track. Following through with the goals and expectations you set for yourself, no doubt, is the more difficult (and often the more drawn-out), second part of this deal.
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| At the Husker Bar. Our home-away from home. |
But, I went for it...and, slowly but surely, I began to feel life start to fall into place around me. As advised by my Mom, I set a schedule for myself during the day, and I made it a point to get out—even if that meant just heading to the library, to a local coffee shop, or to one of the numerous farmer’s market scenes. I kept an eye out for any kind of inexpensive public event or attraction that was worth going to, and Aaron and I both began searching for outlets that would help us feel somewhat rooted in the community. We found ourselves routinely spending a portion of our fall Saturdays amongst a rowdy pocket of red in Cambridge at Boston’s one and only Husker bar, while Sunday mornings eventually became our church-shopping time. And, finally, after a dry spell of not hearing back from employers and receiving rejection, all at once I began hearing back from employer after employer. A good problem to have, I suppose...
Well, one thing led to another, and soon enough I found myself employed in Boston, MA. After rolling around several options I settled with the substitute-teaching/coffee-shop route. It seemed like a great way to ease into the local job scene, as well as become familiar with the people and culture of the area.
And it was an amazing phenomenon. Once I started working, I immediately felt connected. And more alive. It’s not that I’m one of those people who believe that our occupation makes up who we are. But I do believe in the power of human connection, and the burning desire that many of us have to serve others and uncover our purpose in this world.
Of course,
19. Entering the job scene in a new place means adjusting to a whole new culture.
Before I was employed in Boston, I was just an outsider looking in to a bubble and visiting occasionally. Now I was an outsider attempting to live, breathe, function, and adjust to life inside this bubble. And not only did I have one scene to adjust to; I had two...two completely different scenes, in fact. There was the fast-paced, vibrant, and colorful scene at the coffee shop that came with a lot of quick-witted, back-and-forth banter, as well as memorization of sandwich orders, customer’s names/personalities, and routine procedures. And there was the more steady-paced (with the occasional chaotic moment) classroom scene that linked me to a handful of Boston’s quirky, hilarious, hormonal, diverse, chatty, intelligent, stubborn, determined, unique, creative…youthful individuals. Both have come with challenges.
Biggest challenge of the coffee shop: The fast pace that all of the tasks require.
Once you see all of the cogs at work behind the scenes, it is evident that a pretty amazing thing has grown from the seeds the owners planted five years ago or so when they opened this little coffee shop. With that being said, it takes every cog doing their part and moving at the appropriate speed to complete the tasks at hand. For instance, a lot is done by hand every day. Basil is plucked, lemons are squeezed, meat and cheese are sliced, portioned, and bundled. At a lot of other places basil would come in a spice container, lemon-juice would be bought, and turkey would come pre-sliced in a package. But to this particular coffee shop, the quality and the source of the food is much more important than convenience, and in order to maintain this, they need every cog pulling his or her weight. Not to mention, as a newbie from another part of the country I’ve also had to adjust to the Bostonian dynamic that can only be summed up with two words that are often articulated by customers in a hurry, or who just don’t want to say more to you than this: “Laage [large] daak [dark roast coffee]”.
Biggest challenge of substituting: Adjusting to the climate of each school and each classroom on the spot. Sometimes I don’t have more than an hour and a half to prepare for my day of subbing. This can be a thrill, but it can also be a little unnerving—especially since I’m uncovering the ins and outs of a completely new (to me ) district located in a completely new state, located in a completely new area of the country. Never mind that I’m generally placed in a completely new classroom every time.
Whew. It’s definitely been a lot to adjust to.
But of course Aaron has been there through it all, juggling and adjusting right along beside me, and lending a stable shoulder, hand, arm or elbow when things get a little shaky. It has been wonderful having each other there for balance and stability as we both figure out how to walk on our own two feet in this place.
Stay tuned for tales of fire-fighting and mountain climbing...
