My Random Keys

-dad

From the time I hit 'create post' to when I started typing, I had probably 84 different ideas for today, biggest of which is that I'm in withdrawal right now, missing my kids.  They are have a great time with their mom, traveling around the Ohio area. She's a great traveling companion and they have seen great things.  Their Independence Day will be special and I'm happy for them.  But it's been forever since I've seen them.

For most of us, Independence Day is a holiday or a weekend where we can travel or gather with friends for BBQ and fireworks.   Independence Day for others means a declaration of separation.  For a long time now,  having a diseased arm was better than losing that arm.  Now that I no longer have that arm, I feel the phantom pains of relationship now and again.  Today, I declare myself independent of those feelings that remember what was supposed to be.  I try to live my life in positive enthusiasm and give a final goodbye to that part of my life.

My dad spent about 5 years in assisted living and was told what to do and when to do it. He was not independent.  Now that he has escaped from them, he lives with more freedom. He has more say about what he wants to eat. He has a private room and bathroom. He says that he is doing better now.  Yet, he is not independent. He can't drive anymore and still needs assistance around the house from time to time.  But he is experiencing new freedoms and day trips. There is a level of independence even when one loses a total ownership of that freedom.

My great, great granddad fought for his independence and lost at least two brothers in that war.  That time fighting got him shot near Richmond and a year and one day later, on July 2nd 1863, he was captured on the second day of fighting at Gettysburg.   He spend that Independence Day a prisoner of war.  At the end of the war, he gained his independence again and was free to return to Alabama and soon after take his family to Texas.

And then there is Independence Day overdose.  The Encore Channel is playing the Will Smith movie back to back all day long! Maybe a little much even for a fan of the movie.

May your Independence Day be a celebration of remembrance or a declaration of future independence from something that holds you back.  

* Dad on July 3rd at Bob Bullock State History Museum.  After we took it he ask if I got the little kids in the background.  "You can just tell everybody that that was the group I was with today." Daddy cracks me up. 

Wow, what big Time Flies I find circling my blog here.  I'd better go get some special No Pest Strips to take care of this.  It's been over three months since I updated here and I'm feeling guilty. So much has happened since then.

I'd like to say that I'm getting used to transitions in my life, but I'd be lying. Started the school year in the new position with the district and, for the most part, it's been going fairly well. I've had some good teacher trainings and some good response from teachers on my offers for support.  Living within the district systems has been frustrating, but it's easy to find great people in schools and see the reminder of what I loved about the classroom.  Other transitions are harder to work through, but I know I will.

The Mancubs are doing really well. M2 turned 9 earlier this month and had a great slumber party with her friends. She has grown up so much this year, which continues to make her father so proud of her.  Both kids are doing great in school with both on the A Honor roll at their schools. M1 adjusted rather well to middle school life. Lots of work, but he tries so hard to do well and takes his schooling very seriously.  I am a very lucky dad!

I guess Facebook has taken the priority roll for familial sharing posts. I'll try to keep this one up in case anyone still follows it.  Peace.

Just to keep the hit count coming on the Google "Thankful" term search, I figured I'd through a couple of items together for the annual Thanks! list.

1) Thankful for two great mancubs. My kids have had to deal with more than I ever did as a child, and they continue to make me a proud daddy with their attitude, intelligence, and their love of family.  I need nothing more in this world than these two gifts.

2) I'm thankful for my girlfriend, even though she is displaced Texan some 1,300 miles away. She is a very smart and pretty woman who is a devoted mother and good friend to me. She keeps me on my toes and helps me when times are tough.

3) Thanks for my understanding family. My immediate family has always been there for me through my past hardships and continues to support me today. But I also consider a good number of people outside that blood connection as family whom I'm thankful for. The number of virtual 'Brothers and Sisters' and adopted nieces and nephews that consider our connection on of family has been a source of strength for many years. I'm thankful that my large 'family' can put up with my life's roller coaster and still want to stay buckled in for the next go around.

4) Thanks to God for the strength to be the person I choose to be and not just the person I happen to be.  I have been, and my choices have been, sometimes judged foolish or short-sighted. While I make more than my share of mistakes in the world, I believe that accepting the challenges laid before me and choosing to live life without anger, spite, or malice is a much healthier outlook and better example for my kids.  That's not to say that I don't get angry, but how I act on that is what I try to focus on. I'm thankful that I'm generally successful in that endeavor.

5) Lastly, for this list, I'm thankful for my job. I have a great job that allows me to remain active with the classroom experience while not having to actually do grades.  I'm able to still work with some of the best teachers in the country while I advocate for a successfully high level technology integration during instruction.  I'm able to be creative, useful, and provide a level of instructional support that greatly undervalued in many school districts. With major budget cuts coming again, one never feels 100% secure, so I'm glad for my job and the income it provides for my small household and hope to continue to be seen as a productive part of this district and an active agent for student achievement and instructional support.

Well, I'd better post this up so I can help prepare the big dinner for today.  Every day is a great day to give thanks, but today I remain especially thankful.