feeling good!

I am blessed with a happy disposition. I grew up in a rather mercurial home,so I learned at an early age the value of having a positive outlook. I generally go through my days with happy thoughts in my head (and some would say not much else)

I simply can not fathom the young woman 's attitude that I spoke with the other day who said she had miagraines so severe she passed out due to the pressure our principal was putting on her. Granted ,the woman is a real stern task master who enjoys striking fear in the hearts of others,but I am too old to play that game. She puts her pants on one leg at a time just like I do. besides, any woman who brags that she missed her child's birthday to come to work is not someone who's respect I want to earn, nor am I likely to,since our values obviously differ! I am glad of the freedom this gives me. I do my job the best that I can ,but it is just that , a job,;not the be-all & end -all of my life.

 I just started working at this school at the beginning of this year & it has been a difficult adjustment period. In addition to changing schools, I went from teaching severe mentally handicapped children in a self-contained classroom to working with mild learning handicapped kids in a setting with 2 other teachers. I went from a small country school to a large inner-city one. I didnt' wnat to go, we had a drop in enrollment & I was the last hire so it was my turn to transfer. I had been there 10 years! no one leaves that school unless they go out in a box...so I guess I'm fortunate!

The atmosphere in this new school is so tense, that when you say good morning to the children ,they visibly flinch! Well, I refuse to live that way! I recently walked up to a teacher who was putting up a bulletin board & held the paper for her.she looked at me in utter shock!

It has been a backward blessing to me. So often gifts are given to us wrapped in fear. once you open the package, you can see what you are meant to learn. I am slowly easing the pressure off my co-workers. Origionally they felt I was insane,but now they are actually starting to laugh a little. I dont care if they laugh with or at me,these people need a laugh!

So my lesson for this life is that any fool can be happy when everything goes right, to carry your contentment with you,ya, gotta be tough! Or else , completely nuts! Either way, life is too short to be unhappy for one minute of it! I may not be able to change my situation, but I can control my attitude! Every moment I breathe, I am trading a minute of my life for what I feel right now. I want it to be worth the deal!

I can feel spring coming, in the air and in my heart! I was walking on the high school track yesterday, waiting for my math-challenged daughter to get out of tutoring, when a surge of euphoria hit me & instead of grimly trudging along, I waved my arms & twirled!!!!!!!!!!