Transit

Nine weeks down, 27 to go. One quarter of the year is done. Nine weeks ago, I hardly could imagine getting this far.

I've passed a kid who probably should have failed, and failed a kid who thinks she should have passed. I've given a large handful of Kleenex to a sobbing cheerleader (never did find out the "why") and have gotten anonymous "I heart Mrs. G" sticky notes on my computer. I've sat in special education reviews for several students, participated in a "Prevention and Intervention" conference for another and was the catalyst for yet another student receiving a police citation. I've been observed, yea, even better, I've been video-taped.

People tell me that I'm making the grade. Sometimes, I believe them.

One thing I never expected to enjoy was my morning commute.

When I took the job, I was somewhat leery of the 18 miles between "here" and "there", but figured I'd get used to it. I didn't expect to love it.

In 9 weeks, it's never taken me more than 26 minutes. I have friends who commute 5 miles and need half an hour. It's "against" the traffic. I'm heading out into the "country" as the country is heading into the big city. In the evening, duplicate the magnitude, reverse the sign. My favorite classical music station broadcasts all the way, and there are only 7 stop lights in the whole 18 miles. Three of them are within 2 miles of home. Two are within a mile of the school. That leaves a lot of open space in between.

I've come to know the trains that travel parallel to the highway; one in the morning and one in the evening. I see the prairie sunrise each morning, and I'll miss that next week when Daylight Savings Time shifts my routine. I've watched the cotton crop mature, be harvested and the fields cleared in readiness for the next season. So far, I've weathered only a couple of "bad weather" days. One morning with a torrential downpour and one with a transoceanic London fog. Undoubtedly, there will eventually be an ice storm. Ironically, an ice storm nearly kept me from an interview for this position. Maybe my ice storm karma will be good from here on.