Postcards from the Funny Farm

I got that title from an old Alarm song. It’s a great tune with an even greater message for the visionaries among us in 2008.

Instead of waiting for others to be our inspiration, we have to be the inspiration to others AND to ourselves.

As you may have gathered from this series’ title, I grew up in Orange County. 45 minutes from Disneyland and 2 hours from the Mexico border. Nice living! When I moved up here to the high desert of California in August of 2002 I had nothing more than 300 bucks in my pocket and what seemed like a mystical job contract to teach public school. I left behind a rental apartment and everything else that had been “home.” I had decided some months earlier that a return to teaching was what my life and soul needed at age 33. You can read more about my transition back into teaching in my article entitled: Success and Relativity. Anyway, I didn’t mind the details of the move, I just knew this was my return to teaching and return to joy. It was as if I was in the story Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and the teaching job was my “golden ticket.”

The people I met up here, from the interview onward were magical. They saw the light in me and in turn I saw theirs. People offered to let me sleep on their couches, rent their condos, go out to dinner with them, set me up with women … note: I was single then … it was like out of a dream. The dream wasn’t so much about what they offered me though, it was about the light they shined into my heart. I remember thinking of the high desert as a magical place that no one in Orange County, where I grew up, could ever touch. Well, of course, I see now after nearly six years that wasn’t the case, it was merely my perception brought on by simple things people did.

The people were and still are magical but many have left the desert. One woman in particular who was instrumental in hiring me sufferred unspeakable loss when her son and his wife lost a baby in delivery. This world can be so harsh. She left the district and I don’t see her anymore. Others have retired and some have just moved on. I find myself sometimes asking: “Was the magic real? Where has it gone?” There you have the place to put my title: We are the Light.

In life we are lucky at times to be touched by the magic of others. We must never forget however that we have that same power to touch others. We see the light in people they often don’t see themselves. Let your words and actions pour light like water into the “vases” of people. Let them be better for knowing you. I’ll never forget the time my Grandpa had such an impact on me when he bought me a set of Callaway irons as a kid. I used to polish them nightly. Golf was a better game for me because of his generosity. That’s the kind of impact we should all have.

Remember also that the world is not always a mystical place. It is most the time, at its most complex level, just people walking on sand getting to their next destination. It takes people of vision, like you and I my friend, to to create the perception of magic.

The things that are eternal are actions and words you dream. Only you can start them. Only you can bring them back. Only you can keep them going. There really isn’t much to say on this except: GO AND DO!

An aside here at closing: Below are 4 of my family pictures. Each person in them “happened” post-desert … post-magic. Looking at them reminds me that home is where I probably need to shine the brightest, before I take on the world. Wouldn’t you agree?

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Sometimes, the Mr. Mom day goes great! I was home sick playing Mr. Mom today and though the job is usually more than I can handle, it wasn’t half bad! Somehow I found what one blog I read calls Dad Balance. My son had an orthodontist appointment so dragging the 2 girls in diapers in the car and into the waiting room was probably the hardest part. After that, I simply dropped my son off at school and the rest of the day was pretty easy. I did learn that my 3 year old can never be left in the car, even when I am simply running up a driveway to sign my son in. She let out a wail that still has my ears ringing. Poor thing. Oh well, it was a learn as you go daddy day!

When we got home my 2 babies were playful and cute. I enjoyed their company and did the horsie ride thing for a while. When the 8 month old started screaming and eating her fist, I knew it was time for a ba ba and nap. For once, I was 100% correct! She took her baba and went down where she stayed for several hours (ahhh that is so nice!). My other daughter on the other hand was not ready to go down without a fight. I had some reading and writing to do that was somewhat important so I knew her hanging on me was not going to prove productive. I made a deal with her that if I gave her a fun bath with toys and then dressed her up warmy-warm (a term here, yes I know it sounds quite effeminate, don’t tell anyone) then she would go to a little nappy-bye (another term). She said NO! LOL I knew I was in for trouble. Anyway after a bath and dressing time that seemed to last over an hour, I finally got her into bed. Hearning the door click behind me as I left her room I felt a rush of accomplishment as Mr. Mom.

A little back-story: I was so fortunate today to have the best sub for my work kids today, as you know I am a 4th grade teacher.  Sarah, my wife subbed in my absence today.  I got my first “check-in” call about noon and was happy to report that things were going smoothly.  I was also pleased to say most my duties were done.

I know this success isn’t always the case for dads who try Mr. Mom, but I am very proud of myself. Now, if I can just convince my hard-working wife to take us all out to dinner! Making a meal just doesn’t sound like my idea of fun right now. Moms … I salute you!