Photograph #14

I found this website today as I was thinking about activities for my older grades.  I thought this idea was fun.  So I did it.  I thought I would share. 

A Picture is worth more than a blank page.  Take out those dusty photo albums.  Pick out photograph #14.  Count however way you want but make sure you stop at photograph #14.  Look at the photograph for 2-3 minutes.  Then for 10 minutes write all the feelings that photograph makes you feel.  Don’t censor yourself. Just write.

First I did this a little different from the suggestion.  I let my screen saver come up and I picked the #14 photograph from those in my screen saver. 

I love this picture.  It is the second in a series of pictures taken by a couple of elders at my last district meeting while I was serving in Syracuse.  The first picture got deleted, if I remember right, but I was telling Elder Tanner not to take the picture yet, and I was in the middle of saying it when he snapped the picture.  The other elder got this one as all 3 of us are laughing about what just happened. 

As I was looking at the picture I was thinking about what was going on around this time.  This companionship was a trio.  We got a long fairly well, we had some ups and downs but overall I think we did well together.   We knew something/someone was going to change.  This was one of our last opportunities for pictures.  I think, as much as I didn’t want to admit it, I knew I was going to change.  I didn’t want to.  I wanted to be in Syracuse forever.  But, change did happen.  Sister Belnap, the one in the middle, stayed behind while Sister Cox and I moved on to Endicott together.  This picture is full of joy, and laughter.  But as I sit and think about it more and more I see sadness, and uncertainty.  Only because I know what happened next.  Within a week we would be separated and working through challenges we never saw coming.    

 I am so grateful for the time I was able to work with these two amazing sisters.  They both taught me wonderful things about myself and about the gospel.

Would it be possible to move to Australia tomorrow?

That sounds so perfect right now, run away to Australia.  It has been an "Alexander" kind of day.  If you understand that reference, you are a wiz at children's lit.

It didn't start out so Blah, it was the middle and leading right into the end.  I don't know the moment when everything changed, I think it is the whole looking for a job and how overwhelming it is getting, again. 
When I got home from school this afternoon I called the district I am currently working for to ask some questions and I got no answers. . . At least none to satisfy my needs or wants in the whole matter.  Then I emailed a principal about an opening in her school. 

By this time I am frustrated and upset and I know I need to think.  I do my best thinking in my car and on the road.  So, I decided to take a drive and get away for an hour or two.  On my way to my usual drive, up Ogden Canyon, to Trappers Loop, Through Mountain Green, down Weber Canyon and back home, I decided I wanted to go up Weber Canyon all the way to Park City and home.  It was a great idea at the time. 

I was relaxing, thinking, and getting my mind clear when I passed Coalville and I was where small the mountains are surrounding me on I-80 heading south towards Park City and my bumper started to come off, again.  I don't think I mentioned I bumped my bumper into a co-workers car a couple of months ago I broke some of the clips on my bumper and it has started to fall off. The car is getting fixed tomorrow.  Anyway, I pulled over got out, put the bumper back into place and continued my drive.  I had to do this a few more times.  I got past Park City and Jeremy Ranch to about Lamb's Canyon when it happened again.  To the point I couldn't ignore it.  I pulled off at Lamb's Canyon put the bumper back in place and decided to go East instead of West, because the high winds and high speeds was causing the problem. 

As I headed back the way I came I remembered there are some stores in Park City close to the Freeway that would have duct tape.  Then I remembered Jeremy Ranch, which was closer, also has a grocery store.  So that is where I aimed myself to go, thinking if the bumper didn't have any problems between where I was and the exit I would continue traveling east after I got the duct tape and maybe not put the duct tape on until I had problems.  Yeah, it was a great thought but that is all it turned out to be.  I bought the duct tape and a bag of Cadbury Mini Eggs, put the duct tape on my car and headed out from Jeremy Ranch, towards Salt Lake City and head home. 

Apparently, while I was on this adventure the principal emailed me back, remember how I said I was frustrated and upset.  Yeah, it effected my email to her.  I forgot to change it from the last principal I emailed, and the school and the position was wrong.  I will admit I cried a little at that moment.  I emailed the principal back apologized for my lack of editing. 

And now here I am.  Trying to move to Australia.  Do you think they are hiring teachers?