Enter the Substitute

Photo Credit - George Hoden - Public Domain Pictures

I’ve added a new hat to my wardrobe of life experience, I became a substitute teacher this week. I think that this will be a workable solution to help me make ends meet and still allow me to moderate my energy levels so that I don’t end up with a flare up or an illness. Being on disability makes it very difficult to survive. Some people think that we just sit back and let the money roll in while we do nothing to earn it, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. The fact of the matter is that living on disability alone a person, most likely, will not be able to support their self. In addition, some people forget that the amount of disability a person receives is dependent on what they paid into the system in the first place. It’s not a handout, it’s an insurance policy.

Anyway, I digress. Substitute teaching, it’s a good thing. I can choose which days to work so if I’m not up to it I don’t need to accept a job. I can also do half days which is necessary since it takes me so long to become mobile in the mornings. I’m certainly not going to become rich doing this but it should fill the gap enough that I won’t have to worry about the normal day to day bills. But, there’s more to this substituting than meets the eye because it’s really not about me, it’s about the kids.

It’s been about 35 years since I was in high school and, yes, things have changed. I’m quite sure that as time goes on and I continue to spend more time in the schools I’ll see even more changes, or maybe even similarities. My first day allowed me to see just how different things are now. It was hard to fathom as I experienced a world that I once lived in which has now become almost alien. This first experience was in a high school, today I was at a middle school. I would strongly suggest that any parent, if given the opportunity, take a day out and spend it at your child’s school. I’m certain that it will be an eye opener for you. The days of the quite, focused learning environment are gone, probably for good. Your children are not being given the gift of education that you were handed. No, the kids today who want to learn have to fight every second of their day to get that education which I, honestly, took for granted. Between the over stuffed classes and the disruptions caused by the students who don’t want to be there, it’s honestly a miracle that anyone can learn anything. I’m here to tell you, things have changed more than any person, of my era, could possibly imagine.

That said, when you get down to it, the kids I met and worked with are super. I had a lot of fun with them and could tell that down deep they are all just kids. I don’t know if their lives will be impacted by my presence and I don’t know what this school/war zone will do for, or to, them, but I hope that they will leave my class feeling better about themselves and others. To the parents I’d just like to remind you how important it is for you to be a part of their lives and the biggest part of their lives, right now, is school. They need you to be there for them, seriously. You can’t expect to understand and share their lives if you fail to be involved in the largest area of it.

What Do You Believe In?

Photo Credit - Public Domain Pictures, Anonymous 

Faith, it’s a source of pride to some. Others see it as a necessity for survival, and some claim to have none at all while they blindly move forward in their day to day lives without ever acknowledging the most basic belief which keeps the human animal moving on. It’s been my experience that every person has faith in something. This doesn’t mean that everyone believes in the same thing or that all people have a vision of God in their mind when the word “faith” is used. But, in and of itself, faith is something that is there in each of us.

Faith is there for us when hope fails, it never goes away, and it’s as integral to our minds as a heart is to our bodies. Most of us probably don’t even think about it, again, much like the heart, it works on its own pushing us into one direction or the other, playing us like cards. I’m talking about our most natural instincts here. Our minute, meaningless actions transpire because of faith. We place one foot in front of the other believing we will walk, and we do. We don’t start out this way, of course, we are taught to have faith. As our parents encourage our first steps we begin to develop a deep sense of faith by trusting them to not let us fall. As our faith in ourselves grows stronger we become surer of ourselves and we build our lives equivalently to our faith. Those of us who have little faith seem to achieve little, and those with an enormous amount of faith achieve fantastic things. The faith we have can be used for our benefit or our demise, but no one is without it.

So, tell me, where does your faith lie? Do you place your faith in the unseen, assured that somewhere out there an entity of some form is watching out for you, planning your life in a manner which will, in the end, grant you the rewards you seek? Is your faith within yourself the driving force? Are you pressing onward in this world because no one else is going to do it for you? Or, do you have a little of both? Perhaps your faith is something you’ve never really considered; maybe you’re totally unfamiliar with your faith. If so, then maybe it’s time to think about it. Know and understand your faith and you will know and understand yourself.

I’m not saying acknowledge your faith and move on. I’m suggesting a thorough inventory of your core beliefs. Take some time to evaluate your life, honestly. I don’t mean for you to drag yourself down by looking only at your shortcomings, or to give yourself a false sense of pride by ignoring them. Be honest with yourself about yourself. Search inward to discover the driving force of your animal. Don’t expect anyone else to understand it, this is uniquely you. The faith you live by is a result of all your life experiences. Some may find that their faith is dark and well hidden. Some might, instead, see their faith as so strong and vibrant that it actually blinds them, and so, hides their true self in plain site. Whatever you find, where ever you find it, once you really have it, it’ll be yours to do with as you wish. You can be your own captain if you truly understand where your faith has led you thus far. So, I’ll ask you once again, what do you believe in?