Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Contest

I just had to justify to my Mother as I have had to justify with the rest of the world why I did not take my kids to contest today.  Does anyone else want to jump on that train?  Does anyone else want to tell me what is right for MY kids?  Does anyone else want to criticize or judge me for what I do or do not do?

I'm not going to justify here why I did not go, but I will say that until you spend some time in my classroom, you do not have the right to say anything about what I do with my kids.

Why is it that the people that are supposed to support me....friends, family are the ones that consistently knock me down and then kick me.  

I hate people.  I hate that people are causing me to question my ability to do what I do.  I hate that people have caused me to feel so lost.  I hate that I don't know who I am, but have a pretty good idea of who I'm not.  I hate that I was terrified today when I walked into the bandroom and saw the one person I could live the rest of my life without seeing ever again.  And I hate that the things that he did to me in the past still affect me today.  Most of all, I hate that I have allowed this to happen.  I hate that I am so insecure that I am questioning all of these things.  I hate that someday everything he and my parents said will come true.  And I hate for the 4th night in a row, I will cry myself to sleep.

My Favorite Time of Day

I've decided that my favorite time of day is my commute to school in the morning.  I know, you are all thinking I'm crazy for saying that a commute is my favorite time of day, so let me explain.

When the season is just right, I am driving on Airport Road and as I round the corner where the road straightens out before the MacArthur exit, I can see the sun, as it is rising reflecting off of the downtown skyline.  It is absolutely gorgeous.

I don't know why I feel like sharing this tonight, but that's what I'm been holding on to.  The sky as the sun rises over downtown.  Kind of silly, really, but it is what it is.

Monday, March 9, 2009

What a Weekend

Wow.  I don't even know where to start.  We finished up our run of "Thoroughly Modern Millie."  Everyone involved with the show did such a wonderful job, and I am proud of all of them!!  It wasn't an easy show to put together, but it all worked out!!!  I was very proud, and honored to be a part of it.  

My first clue that Friday was not going to be a good day...I forgot my good friend Jack's birthday.  I NEVER forget his birthday.  We MET on his birthday.  I felt awful.

I am not ready to talk about the rest of the frustrations and disappointments that Friday brought.  I will just say that I was oh so glad when it was over.  I'm the type of person who can be very disappointed, but tries to be very understanding.  My being understanding doesn't mean that the disappointment doesn't hurt or that it's okay.  It just means that I try to realize that in situations where people are concerned, anything goes.  So, after having a crappy day at school (so crappy that I came home to take a nap and cried myself to sleep and I HATE CRYING!!) and then events before the show, I really tried to throw up my walls, all to no avail. 

I try so hard to protect myself, to protect my heart.  Of course it never works out, so I don't even know why I try.  Actually, where I generally get into trouble is when I trust people.  I don't know why I always have hope that things will be different, that people will follow through when they say they're going to do something.  I take responsibility for part of it.  It's partly my fault, because I allowed myself to get my hopes up.  Such a stupid thing to do where people are concerned.  I won't let it happen again.  I can't.  I can't deal with the fallout.  I would think that the people that are close to me that know me, that know of my family and my past would know that.  Apparently I'm really good at hiding that part of me.  Needless to say, I had to pull myself together to play the show, which is not always an easy thing for me to do.

Saturday was OYS Guest Conductor rehearsal day.  The conductor was great and I believe that it was a good experience for the kids.  The day, overall, was quite frustrating and hurtful.  Throwing up walls is my way of not having to deal with what I'm feeling.  In turn, this means that things start to snowball.  Saturday, we have our staff meeting.  Fine.  Some of the stuff we talked about really bothered me, however, I'm just the grunt of the organization, so my thoughts or opinions don't matter even though I have devoted 15 years of my life to their cause.  I'm good enough to be the "sub" but not good enough to be included in any of the "big boy" conductor things...like, lunch with the guest, or even being introduced to the guest.  That might've been nice, and such a novel idea.  I'm on the conducting staff, for Heaven's sake!!!  "We want you to be a part of our team when it's convenient for us."  "You are only a part of the team when we need you to bail us out."  That's what everything that happened Saturday morning said to me.  Up go the walls.

Saturday night at the show I was not in a great mood.  I was really just trying to hold it all together.  I walk in, get my stuff out..no big deal.  We're about half way through the first act and the conductor gives the count off for a tune and all of the sudden the box starts playing and I start playing and we're a beat apart and I couldn't catch it.  I had no idea where we were in the midst of the stupid opening of the stupid song.  So, I stopped playing.  Keep in mind, when I started playing, I was with the conductor!!!  Apparently she and I were both wrong.  Great...  well, that was the FINAL straw.  I could hold it together no longer.  I freaking cried through the rest of the first act.  I almost couldn't play.  It was AWESOME!!  I felt so stupid and I was so angry at myself.  It took all I had not to pack my stuff at intermission and go home.  Of course, I may have wanted to pack and run, but I would never do that.  I couldn't ever do that.  That's not who I am.

Sunday morning I get up and head back to Edmond for the concert and more Guest Conductor fun.  Should be an easy day, right?  Well, one thing I can't stand is people that think they are too good to do something like take tickets, sell tickets, greet parents...whatever needs to be done.  There was a conductor who actually laughed at me for doing those things.  I wanted to punch him in the face.  I was NOT a happy person.  Here he is, supposed to be a leader, and he is to good to do the menial tasks.  And we wonder why our kids are the way they are??  Give me a break.  I'm a firm believer of doing what needs to be done, because it needs to be done.  

I'm so tired of feeling like I don't fit anywhere.  I'm very lost professionally and personally right now, and I feel like I'm all alone.  Like no one understands, or care to try.  Part of that is my fault.  The walls are up and it doesn't look like they're coming down any time soon.  For those of you that don't know...this is called a full shutdown.

Ironically, in the midst of all of this crap, a friend that I hadn't spoken to for 3 months (long story) called.  It's like he always knows when things are falling apart, even from 1500 miles away.  I appreciate that, and am glad we got to talk, even though it was a fairly short conversation.  I needed a friend, and of all the people...well, I never expected it to be him.

I'm going to close this out with a few postsecrets....Enjoy




Friday, March 6, 2009

goodnight

Here are some more Scott Alan lyrics. "Goodnight" from "Dreaming Wide Awake".

Dry away the tears
Lay aside your fears
No more pain for my love
I am here now go to sleep

And when the angels come
I know that they will treat you well
That they will pull you through
And lift you up from all that's held you down
There's a heaven up there
And it waits just for you

So close your eyes and dream
And there will be a world you once knew
A world without pain
That has stuck with you for far too long
A world that does contain a love like mine
To watch you grow strong

And when my time arrives
Please wait and make a place for me
For when I do arrive
Your face should be the first face I see

So dry away the tears
Lay aside your fears
No more pain for my love
It is time
Now go to sleep