Sunday, March 22, 2009

General Fatigue 101

Now I'm guilty of not blogging, again, for several months. I am really not one to lend themselves to lame excuses, nor accept them. My last blog referred to a general fatigue brought on by 34 years of 'fighting the good fight' in education and have it largely fall by the wayside...that hasn't changed, and it continues to today.

Newly married now, moving to a new town and house 25 miles distant, all the requisite responsibilities, etc., now commuting 30 minutes twice-a-day (I KNOW that's not a big deal, but for HALF a job...) have only added to the fatigue and malaise I'm experiencing. Added to that we've become a 'New-and-Improved' district and I SEE and hear a lot of good things happening around us, but have yet to see much, if any, trickle down...

There isn't a day that goes by I don't hear from a former student-athlete seeking wisdom and guidance in the form of lessons learned over the years, and my wife is pushing me to copyright and publish our handbook of those lessons (The Hocus-Pocus Manuscript III), and go into consulting...seems education continues to want the least common denominator (hence, the cheapest) in the classroom, even the Canyons School District, new-and-improved...

Sheesh, I'm tired, but I AM very, very good and don't want to throw in the towel quite yet...

1 comment:

Darren Draper said...

Russ,

I've known you for over ten years and consider you a friend. We've endured complaints from fellow faculty members, idiotic behavior from hard-headed Ebay enthusiasts, and even jointly cussed out a computer or two.

At this point in the game - having read your frusrations shared here, on Twitter, and in the local papers - I've come to understand many things:

I know you're talented (who doesn't), I know you're smart, and I know you're pissed.

But being smart though, are you honestly surprised when you run into resistance from administrators (yes, even concerning your current or future employment status), given the sour and persistant feedback you've been giving them?

Now, I know you've been one of the best in the business, Russ, and I also know you've been dealt a rough hand (surely not the promised dream of double dipping you had hoped for). Nonetheless, sometimes bad things happen to good people and the only thing we can really do about them is remain optimistic, "just keep swimming," and when those in power actually get the chance - then they'll give you the breaks you undoubtably deserve.

Give them only reasons to love you, and I'm here to tell you that they will.

For what it's worth,

Drape