Looking back #2...

FINALLY! it was time to wrap up my master's program and teacher certification for special education.

I wasn't at the university this one day that I'm going to write about in my blog today, instead I was substitute teaching at my kids' elementary school, Chance Elementary. Later I discovered that the building's principal, Judy Musgraves, hadn't been at Chance that day, she was in Columbia attending a meeting.

At her meeting she happened to strike up a conversation with a principal from Columbia. At the time I never would have predicted anything would come out of their conversation. However, their conversation would affect the rest of my life. No, not affect my life, dramatically change my life!

Mrs. Musgraves' conversation had been with Dr. Jack Jensen, who at the time was the principal at Two Mile Prairie Elementary School. Their conversation went something like this:

Dr. Jensen: "Judy, I need to hire a special education teacher.  I have a teacher who is leaving immediately. Do you know any special educators looking for a position?"      

Mrs. Musgraves: "Yes. She's substitute teaching in my building right now." 

By the time I arrived back home that evening the light on my answering machine was flashing, indicating a message was waiting for me.
They say there are no such things as coincidences. I agree.  It was no coincidence that day; everything happened the way it was meant to happen.

The next day I was back substitute teaching and Mrs. Musgraves arranged for me to take a call from Dr. Jensen.  The rest, as they say, is history!  From there I went to Two Mile Prairie, interviewed for the teaching position, and was offered that very position the following day.

Wait. Remember, all I really wanted was to rest for a bit? Rest. What a luxury it seemed to be. And the thought of simply doing NOTHING did flash through my mind the second I heard Two Mile Prairie needed a Special Educator. But I never looked back.

From the moment I went into that interview for the position everything began to fall into place!

From here the journey took on a new route.  Well, maybe not as much a new route or a new beginning as much as a continuation along the path that I was meant to travel!

Looking back...

It was the fall of 1998 and I was nearing the end of my master's degree program for special education. It had been a long process happening over several years of time and I could not wait for it to be done so I could ... do absolutely NOTHING!

I know, master's degrees don't normally take four or five years to complete, but I had been a single mom through much of this school process -raising my four children on my own, along with working a part-time job, and substitute teaching for grades from special education preschool, to at risk high schoolers, to everything in-between.

Getting this degree had been a very long process, needless to say. I took several classes every semester, oh, but did I tell you that right in the middle of it all, I quit.  I'd had a growing feeling there was more to learn, more that I needed to learn, and that I wasn't learning all I should in the program I was in. But as time went by I knew that I had to finish what I'd already started, so I returned.

And now, somehow, the end of my program finally came in-sight.  How that happened I can only speculate because it seemed that the end only grew further and further away as time progressed on.

Did I mention that all I wanted to do when the end did finally roll around ... after years of raising four kids, in the woods where we had goats and trees galore; helping my children with their schooling, and activities and interests ... where we did 4-H projects and I lead 4-H groups, Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts, Girl Scouts, youth groups, Sunday school classes ---man, the list goes on and on and on. Now my degree was finally coming to the stopping point and all I could imagine was

-NOTHING.

Nothing but resting; finally, resting! 

Do you know those times when you think you've got everything all figured out.  Times you're certain that finally the order that's meant to be has arrived. Times when the ending point is right around the corner. That's how I finally felt. It was so close all of a sudden I could taste it.

I was wrong, so wrong. Because just when I was sure I had it all constructively accounted for I was let in on a little secret: it wasn't the end, it was only the beginning. 

Because one day as graduation neared I got a phone call that would change everything.
Come back tomorrow to read about that phone call that changed everything.