SOL 2019 - Day 2 - Hmmmmm....

 

Slice of Life writing challenge, March 2019

Day 2 -- "Hmmmmm...."

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Seven months. It's been seven months since my life started to take a different turn. Seven months since that fateful day when a seed of an idea was planted in my brain, a seed for an opportunity that seemed impossible at first, but now has become my reality. My life is so different now. So very VERY different ....But that is a topic for another day.

The day my life began to change was in late July of 2018, when I was visiting my cousin MarySue in a nearby city. On summer break from my teaching job, as well as taking a few days off from my summer tutoring, I was enjoying having a few days of down time with MarySue. MarySue, who is retired, was also enjoying a little down time from her other life obligations. It was a beautiful hot, sunny summer day, and we had spent several hours lazing in the pool at the apartment complex where MarySue lived. Relaxed and refreshed, it was late in the afternoon when we exited the pool and began to dry off. MarySue's neighbor Kim, who had just gotten home from her work as a case manager at a nearby prison, joined us poolside. The three of us chatted happily for a while, and then the topic of work came up. And that is when Kim uttered those fateful words: 

"There's a full-time job opening for a GED teacher where I work."

Kim was looking directly at me. Both she and MarySue knew how badly I wanted to get a full time teaching position. My current teaching job, as much as I loved it, was not full time. It had the same demands and took up the same amount of time as a full time job, but paid only part-time pay. And after years of working in that position, as well as working extra jobs to help make ends meet, I was looking for a change.

But being a GED teacher? I had taught in elementary school for my entire career! I had experience teaching many grade levels, due to being an Intervention Specialist, but I had never taught high-school-level subjects. 

"Oh, I don't know, Kim. I don't know anything about teaching GED classes!"

Kim's voice was calm and matter-of-fact.  "It's all the basic subjects that you already know how to teach. It's reading, writing, math, science, and social studies. You can do it!" 

Hmmmmmm. I probably could teach GED classes. What I didn't remember about math and science and anything else, I could relearn, couldn't I? Okay, yeah, maybe.

I was still ready to quickly dismiss the idea. "But what about the commute? I live an hour drive from here. There's no way that I'm interested in driving two hours every day just for work. I would hate that. No, no way!"

"You can stay with me!" my cousin piped up. I looked at MarySue, whose face was alive with excitement. "You can stay with me, Judy. And you'd be teaching full time!" She was grinning ear-to-ear as she elbowed me in the arm. "Oh c'mon, Judy. It's FULL TIME."

I was out of excuses. Was this job opening something I should seriously consider? Could I really do the job? Did I really want to change my teaching career so drastically? Did I really want to change my LIFE so drastically?

Hmmmmmmmm....

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JudyK  :-)  March 2, 2019