At a Crossroads...Which Way Do I Go?

Where to begin?

How about just a simple "Hey" to all my friends out there who have been keeping a check on me. I appreciate each message, text, chat, email, etc.

Some of you really need to get a Skype account so I can talk to you face to face. Yes, I recently discovered my love of Skype. I have had the account for about a year, but never really used it. I had originally gotten it so I could talk to my cousin who was deployed in Iraq. The only problem was the awful time difference. Ugh. Then about a month ago my best friend, Jen, got an account and we began to Skype. It was awesome to see my friend. I miss having her around here, but being able to talk to her "face to face" was tons better than talking on the phone. Now if I could only get my family onto Skype. I guarantee that will not be happening. Oh well.

As the title of this post says, I find myself at a crossroads in my life. I am going to lay this out here, and forgive me for the rambling that is about to ensue. Those of you that know me or have been reading this blog know that I am hardly ever at a shortage for words. So here we go.  

First, I am at a crossroads in my future career decision. As many of you may recall, I have applied for a supervisor's position with the state teachers' union. I got word a week ago that they will be making a decision at the beginning of March. From what I was told, there is an excellent chance I will be chosen for one of the two positions that remain. Now, the decision must be made soon on what I need to do.

On the one hand, I have been looking for a way out of my current job teaching in my school. I have been quite unhappy this year with the administration and how things have been handled and how people are being treated. It has caused quite a bit of stress in my life, even some bits of depression. But, I am a fighter and have been working to make the best of a bad situation.

Most will say that what I have just said is reason enough to get out now. However, there is one underlying fact that I want to stay...the kids! I know that as a teacher I have been able to make a difference in the lives of my kids. We always talk about making the connections with our children. I will stand here and tell you that I make connections with our kids everyday. I have kids that walk into my classroom each morning just to make sure I am in the classroom and to give me a hug. I have students that consistently come back to visit me to let me know how they are doing in school and in life. Believe me when I tell you there is nothing better than the unconditional love of children. They simply are glad to see you and to know that you love and care for them. The idea of leaving my students and their families is burning a hole in my heart. I get torn up just thinking about it.

However, looking at this new job prospect excites me at the same time. I will have the unique opportunity to work with a number of local teacher unions in our state. I would be the liaison between the local unions and the state/national unions. I would be the go-to guy for these locals. I also have the opportunity to lobby our state & national legislators on all things education. I love education and I love politics, so it seems a perfect fit. I would be the voice for the teachers who so often feel that they don't have one.

Okay, another perk to contend with...if I do get one specific position with the union, I would need to move. Although it was not the move I originally wanted (sorry MNJ & MH), there are some good perks. First, I would be living in the same city as my mother. For those of you that do not know, I had absolutely no relationship or contact with my mother from age 5 to 18. Our relationship has been building ever since, and the idea of living near her is exciting. Also, she has a lake house in the town that she does not use very often. The reason for that is that my mother and step-father built a house in town in which they could retire. So they uprooted their life and moved 60 miles to this town where their lake house already was. I have the possibility of living there for a bit. Plus, I would be close to one of my favorite cities in the state. I would be in a place where there is actually life to live.

So where do I go...I simply don't know. I am continuing to weigh all the options. I also continue to pray for guidance and some sort of sign to help me make this decision. I will keep you posted as I find out.

There is more to this post, but I find myself literally shaking as I type this. That is a signal that I need to stop right now, but I have much more to write about and to tell you. I will post the rest later. Thanks to all of you for listening.

- JC