Time to Reflect: Step 33

When looking for some idea to reflect upon that relates closely to my situation I turned to the The Quotations Page ( http://www.quotationspage.com/mqotd.html ). There I found the words of a spouse whose initials LBJ were the same as those of her more famous husband. Lady Bird Johnson said, “It's odd that you can get so anesthetized by your own pain or your own problem that you don't quite fully share the hell of someone close to you.” Many of you who have followed this blog since its inception or know me personally realize that my status as a “former” teacher, professor, etc. as stated in the biography to your left is not by choice. Having lost a teaching position nearly two years ago my first reaction was to pursue a new one. After having dozens of applications go unanswered and a half dozen interviews fail to gather a single offer my efforts turned to part-time substitute teaching. Still, our income had shrunk by forty percent. As my wife, Debbie, sat firmly in the back of the boat paddling to keep us on course with her teaching career in tact I kept bailing water out of the front of the boat. My bucket kept getting smaller and the water kept coming. Deb kept paddling. At the urging of her sister, Kathy, who works for Workforce in Wisconsin I looked into what they had to offer in Southern California. Visiting their One Stop Center the focus shifted to transferable skills, noteworthy achievements and networking. As part of this last component I went through training and became part of the professional networking group Experience Unlimited (http://www.euorangecounty.com), attended a workshop on Linked In, and used my most marketable skill to start this blog. All the while Deb kept paddling and her arms grew weary. Somehow, in my rush to find a salve for my own pain I failed to look back and see what I could do to ease her load. She has always been the more practical pragmatic partner. Maybe that is why she loves to capture sunsets in her photographs, because they mark the end of a well-earned day of work. Most of you know I look for the silver lining in every cloud, constantly chase rainbows, and usually wake up on time to catch the sunrise bursting with the hope of a new day. It is my hope she reads these words and that they help ease her pain. So, in closing I just want to thank Richard French, who like me is an eternal optimist and up until yesterday was the president of the Irvine chapter of Experience Unlimited. Richard, whose wife also lost her job, is seeking a brighter future in another part of the country. May your buoyant spirit and charm ease the pain you share and help you find your silver lining. Our thoughts and prayers follow you every step of the way.