Giving and Lost

Thursday night.
I taught today. I decided to try a lesson on creativity. I started with coloring. I pulled up some geometric coloring pages on the internet. I thought it would be a cool idea. I didn’t figure that people would actually complain about coloring. It was too early. Too early to color? Go figure. The rest of the lesson went.

During the second hour, Bob and Eileen started pulling people out to do evaluations. One lady came back into the classroom in tears. These folks don’t handle critiquing well—at all. It’s always taken as a personal attack. I understand that some. It’s not always easy for me to accept criticism, either.

I’m going to try the same lesson in the jail tomorrow. We’ll see how it goes.

I spent the afternoon working on employer contacts. It was exciting to hear that one of my guys got a job—I helped with the connection. He’s going into this company as a supervisor and making a hefty salary. Odd thing was that I found myself wishing that I could just escape and go write for a while.

Earlier in the week I wrote about how exhausted I was. One of my noters commented on how emotionally draining my job is. I forget that sometimes. I also forget how human I really am. As I contemplated the note I recalled how I signed up to be Oncology chaplain right after my dad from cancer. It was a crazy idea. I’m not sure what weird thinking was going on in my head—like I had to prove I could do what no one else was possible or made sense.

I’m thankful that I’ve moved past that, for the most part. Now, I just realize that I give and give and give and then feel exhausted. It’s not a bad thing.
My family is sucked into “Lost” right now. I never watched that show. Funny, I’ve never seen lots of the shows that people are just totally in to: Gray’s Anatomy; Lost; Prison Break; 24; and so many more. I stopped watching all the Law and Orders and CSI’s. I haven’t watched a decorating show since I can remember. Funny thing is…I don’t miss any of it.

We’re in for a lalapalooza of storm—at least that’s what they’re predicting. Lots of snow and a thick coating of ice. I’d like a snow day…time to huddle and do nothing. And a great big mug of cocoa. Yum.