The Trade-Off

Ah, the life of an alternative educator. A week ending in tight shoulders and some amazingly sore abs.

After my back-to-back rides last weekend, I was sooo alive on Monday at work. Something about good times with good friends, you know? I actually got to teach English again for one day (the yearbook takes a month and the whole school participates in it). I felt normal, and like maybe I was going to get some riding in this week. NOOOOO. Silly Me.

Tuesday is a blur, but I know I didn't teach anyone anything. The yearbook had one more day to go...hence, Tuesday night insomnia.

I took the morning off because Wednesday night we had our quarterly family meeting. As well as teaching English and being the resident graphic designer for the yearbook working on ancient computers and a crap network (can anyone tell I'm bitter?), I have a counseling case load of seven young people whom I encourage to succeed, as well as kick their asses when they screw up. I am their parents' main contact, most of whom do not speak English. So, I pull out my broken Spanish, and use my students to translate when I am lost for words. Thank God I understand the kids, so I know they are not telling their parents about anything other than their latest offense to the civilized world.

Family Night is actually fun, except for the fact that it is an 11 hour day. I get to tell the parents how their little former gang-member is now achieving credits, and has learned to walk away from fights. It is strange and wonderful to be a trusted part of a family whose culture is so far removed from my own. Sometimes I step back and realize how strange my little world is. I work in the middle of a poor immigrant population. I serve a community whose existence is both necessary and a political hot button. I learn the survival strategies when one is poor and migrant. The strength of my students still amazes me. I become constantly amazed at the resilience of the human being. Bike racers have nothing on these people.

Thursday we spent the whole day packing. We are moving campuses. I will finally have my own classroom. FINALLY!!! I formerly had a room that every Tomas, Ricardo and Enrique would walk into, looking for the main office, the bathroom, or my boss. Now I have a door with a key. Well, when it is all unpacked. So, Manual Labor Day, deep sleep after work. No rides for me.

Friday we took the kids to a ropes course. I am afraid of heights. No one told me that a staff member had to do everything first, then stand up on a tiny platform nailed to the side of a swaying redwood tree, high above everyone else, and help all of the frightened kids. So, after getting past shaking legs and loss of breath, I learned to live in a tree comfortably. I also climbed up giant staples, walked on cables in the sky, and slid down cables attached to pulleys. Okay, it was fun. Now my forearms are sore, my abs are, too. Still no rides for me.

Last night I cleaned my bike, trying to persuade myself I was going to race today. But, here I am blogging instead. I did, however, arrange for a ride this afternoon with a girlfriend and a guy she's trying to hook me up with. I hear he rides fast and builds furniture. So, in spite of a week with no social life and no ride time, I still have hope. There's always hope.

I have thought often of quitting this job. It wears me out, and my boss is a bit nuts. But the amounts of love and inspiration I get from it are addicting. I cannot imagine taking a job where I am less invested. Not to mention giving up my 12 weeks of vacation a year...

Career switching is still possible. Right now I am focusing on career augmenting.