At the crack of dawn, I took off, squinting through the thick fog. I had a 2 1/2 hour drive ahead of me, and wasn't looking forward to that. But the excitement of going back to a program that I have loved since 1984 kept my spirits up. I had to stop at the school to get the handouts that our wonderful office manager had copied for me. It was a bit spooky to be in the building alone at 6 a.m.
I picked up Laurel, after a hair-raising ride in a deep grey blanket down Salisbury Hill, and we left for North City to meet Terry. We ran out of fog about 20 miles from home, thank goodness. Once we got over the escarpment, there was no snow on the ground, so the air was also clear. The drive was easy, overall, not too much traffic around Big City.
I do trainings and presentations all over the state, the region, and nationally, but this one was particularly important to me because of the people in the program. Years ago, when I first got back into Head Start, after a 7-year foray into day care, I trained all over this region...6 counties at one point. I put over 3000 miles a month on my car and my bod. I loved my job, and quit it only when Ma came to stay and we opened The Rose.
This program was my favorite; and it was supposed to be mine. When DB's plant closed, and he was out of work for who knew how long, I had applied to be director of this program. I knew many of the people, had trained them, and felt that this place was one where I could make a difference. Their philosophy was similar to mine, they are still creative, loving people, and I knew I could be very happy there.
So I applied for the job. And I GOT IT! I was delirious for about one weekend, and it all came crashing down. DB, you see, was offered a job here in this area as a VP for a local company. Well, that would mean, 1. more money than I could ever earn in an early childhood program, 2. we wouldn't have to move so far away from Lyra and family, 3. it was DB's dream job, and I already had a job I liked. You guessed it; I declined the job. And hated myself for a long time.
And by-the-way, the job for DB fell through 6 weeks later, when it was too late for me to retrieve the offer. He was out of work for over a year, and I kept plugging away at my traveling position. During that time, I kept training in the program I had wanted to be part of, and that was both wonderful and hurtful at the same time.
I've stayed friends with several of the people. I see them now and again. I saw Brandy at a training I did last fall. Each time we connect, it's good and refreshing for me. So, when I walked into the room yesterday, and they were almost all there (my dear Emma couldn't make it at the last minute), it was a real rush for me.
Oh the training? It went well, too. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves, and Laurel and Terry had a great time. (They were also a big help; it's nice to have a team to work with.) But the best part for me was Brandy, Joe, and Fred. Thanks, guys, for being such good friends.
We rode over to Perfect Bay to look at the campground and to pay the balance of our site rent. It was a wonderful ride through this lovely countryside. Every little pond had some Canada Geese on it, and all the little streams were rushing into the bigger ones. The bare ground is brownish, but the tiny twigs on the brush are reddening. And a couple farms are boiling sap! That's a sure sign that spring is coming.
7:37 AM
Oh my! Where did yesterday and the day before that go? And now, this morning, I've indulged in reading rather than writing and so I have less time to record my thoughts.
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