Last year was a bit of a bummer. I have been blessed with the ability to see good in most things and it was a real challenge for just about the whole year. I am always of the opinion that in every difficult thing there are things to be learned and things to be thankful for and challenges should always give us the opportunity to change our perspective - maybe we just aren't perceiving things in the correct way; maybe we're just not "getting it." Certainly we have to be open to the idea that we could just be 'wrong' sometimes - because really, we don't get to be 'right' all the time. It just doesn't work that way.
Anyway --- I spent the year trying to figure things out, trying to find work, trying to be artistic in whatever way came to me. There were some successes, some things that worked and some things that didn't - and there were even some things that worked that I didn't really want to but I'm grateful for what I learned, I think. I found out a lot about me. It was a struggle, I was broke, I had to streamline, I had to ask for help, my dog died, and after sending out what seemed like a zillion resumes (complete with attached embarrassingly good recommendations) I got less than a handful of replies. What the heck was wrong with me? Am I too old, too fat, too forward, too bossy? They couldn't possibly know these things without actually meeting me so I was perplexed.
In this I have found that it's a bit of a challenge to handle everything, every situation with grace, but I must. At the same time I must be grateful for every trial because it brings me to the realization that I'm made of strength and fortitude, kindness and compassion but at the same time I'm pretty much a no 'baloney' zone. Do not take my kindness for weakness. I have talents that I love and while I was wondering if I would ever find work that would use those I was also aware that I wasn't getting called for ANY of the office skills that I have either. So why not wait for the stuff I love? Not that there was much choice anyway.
Not knowing the future and then with the loss of our PERFECT FAMILY DOG, BEST GIRL EVER, the year seemed like it really punched me in the gut......BUT... we don't get to choose what happens around us. Things around us are always going to be out of our control for the most part.....all I can do is choose how graceful I will embrace life's circumstances and how I will allow it to affect me.
I've been hired by a tutoring outfit out of Fresno to tutor reading/literacy and to oversee the tutors in our area and handle the administrative paperwork. Forty students in our area will receive this service in an effort to bring them up one whole grade level before the end of this school year.
I've got a community education class that I'll be teaching - Fun with Ceramic Clay, that will be offered on Tuesday evenings for adults, and in the next session there will be two back to back clay classes for youth.
AND - I've been booked for several children's art classes by the Stanislaus Arts Council - one of the classes will be to teach Van Gogh to 100 first graders! Not all at the same time, but I cannot wait to see the results of that class...... and Picasso to four classes of third graders. I'm over the moon!
I'm going to try to work in a couple of mornings a month to volunteer at our local library and maybe the McHenry Mansion gift store.
So.... I made it through the year and I'm looking forward to this new year that is just teeming with new prospects, new ideas, new things to challenge me. I was blessed to have found so very much love and support from my family and friends this past year, and from people I don't even know - that it really kept me uplifted while I tried my hand at many things.
Life is full and I am blessed.
More later.
K
