Goodbye, 2012

So, this is the last day of the year! I have a lot to be thankful for: job renewal; improvement in my badminton game and joining a new baddy club; good health; continued friendships; and a lot of valuable life lessons. But all those blessings did not come without work, pain, or endurance. I had to live with uncertainty for many months before the renewal was confirmed. I suffered from a knee injury that was healed after 3-4 months of rest and therapy. My badminton game has improved but I have so much more to learn, and instituting the few changes I've made to my game was mentally taxing. My friendships continue by the grace of God, and sometimes, through difficult and painful conversations. Those conversations may not become less difficult in the future, perhaps because I am "too sensitive."

What do I hope 2013 will bring? I hope for more rest, not just physically, but also mentally and spiritually. I may be greedy, but I hope for more blessings from God, and I hope that I will also bless others even when they treat me like crap. The older I get, the more I realize that I want a quiet, safe life.

merry christmas!

seasons

I hate grading at the end of the fall semester because it usually means I'm trying to get everything done before Christmas, and yes, there's a lot to do. And don't get me started on one of my graduate students who had the gall to ask me if I could read a draft if he turns one in on Friday, Dec 21 (and he means 5pm, Dec 21). That means I have to read it either over the weekend, or on Monday, Dec 24!! Yeah, buddy, sounds like a great idea. I hope I never pissed off my graduate advisers the way he keeps pissing me off.

Students, tread carefully around your teachers during this time of the year.

disasters

Luckily, I'm not facing any imminent disasters myself. But, I am watching as one of my colleagues hurtles over a cliff, all by his own self. Must remember that stressful situations can cause people to act in really strange, self-destructive ways. My colleague made the decision he made because he thinks it is a form of agency. Well, sure, self-destruction is an act of agency, but it is not necessary the best course of action to take!

(And, yes, I did say "don't do it," but he did it anyway.)

insights

I've come to the belated but staggering realization that students, teachers, and administrators have different goals and objectives. On a good day, they might overlap, but you can't take for granted that they do so on a daily basis. 

life's lessons

My EQ is not very high, and boy, do I have to work on that now! Badminton has been a lot more fun after I joined a club, but it also does mean learning new tricks, that is, learning how different people operate and how I can relate to them. I am a difficult person, I know, but hey, so is everyone else! Hah.