2012 was in interesting year. I had a ton of ups and a ton of downs yet in
the end it doesn’t seem like a bad year overall. Granted I’m not working in the field of
wildlife which makes me feel pretty disappointed in myself, but I am working
which frankly in this economy is a true blessing. I’d been subbing at the local school for a
while and working for the school’s preschool as an aid 2 days a week for the
entire 2011-2012 school year and got to know some great people. Apparently I did a good enough job with those
two little endeavors to spark the interest of the principal and she offered me
a position as a Special Education Aid (along with continuing to work with the
preschool) for the 2012-2013 school year.
Not only that but I was also offered a position as a member of the brand
new after school program team. So I’m
working 40 hours a week and come home with energy to spare so I must be doing
something right. I’m still not sure what
my destiny is when it comes to a career but I’m giving Special Education a
serious consideration. I’ve come to
realize I really enjoy it because each day has new challenges and trials that
keep my mind going at full speed. I also
realized that I am a very patient and flexible person and when something goes
wrong I generally can figure out a way to still get the job done while making
the kids feel good about themselves.
Some of these skills are the same ones I used daily while working at my
sister’s nursing home over the summers while I was in college. I enjoyed that kind of work too so maybe I
really should be doing something where I can put those kinds of skills to work
for others. There is a big part of me
that still wants to go back to wildlife and use my education but who knows…
maybe that’s just not in my cards. So
while I’m enjoying this I’m looking into what it would take to get a Masters in
Education specializing in Special Ed. My
BS covers all the requirements except one and that’s Montana History which I
know I could easily pick up in a semester but I struggle with the idea of going
back to school myself. It frankly scares
me but it might be worth it in the end.
Work wasn’t my only life area with ups and downs. At the end of last year I was fed up with how
horrible I felt every day. The weight I’d
gained while dad was sick and I was stressed was just more than I could handle
so I said enough was enough. I spent the
last year transforming myself but inside and out. I started eating healthier, or at least
eating only when I was actually hungry and not bored or stressed out and
started working out each and every day come hell or high water. It hasn’t been easy by any stretch of the
word but I’ve lost 70 lbs and am still going. Since working at the school I’ve
kind of slacked a bit but have maintained the 70 lb loss but having really done
too well losing any more since about October.
I still want to lose at least another 30 to meet my goal and had really
wanted to do that in a single year but that didn’t happen and I’m starting this
new year with the goal of losing that 30 before the school year ends. That means rededicating myself to this
mission. Getting up that extra hour
early to get a workout in and forcing myself to eat breakfast in the morning
before heading to work. On the bright
side I do feel fantastic, look a heck of a lot better, and have more energy
than I know what to do with which sometimes drives Mace nuts. I love being able to go for a run or hike a mountain
without hurting or being out of breath.
It’s such a welcome and of course needed change. I’m just hoping that I can keep it up.
Things were also a bit stressed on the family front. In September my mom had another gall bladder
attack that was so severe that she developed a case of pancreatitis. It also caused a severe UTI which of course needed
to be treated before the doctors felt comfortable removing her troublesome gall
bladder. This isn’t the first time she
has had problems with this particular organ.
When she was at the Mayo Clinic getting her heart checked out several
years ago she had an episode of issues with her gall bladder and her doctors
there suggested it be removed. For some
reason, which frankly I’ve never understood, she didn’t have it taken out then
even though she’d had several problems with it through out her adult life. Anyway the most recent problem created a
domino affect of health issues for mom and she was in and out of the hospital 5
times in the course of three months and was staying for weeks at a time. Of course having allergy problems with antibiotics
and severe reactions to certain anesthesias didn’t help her out much
either. But by Thanksgiving everything
seemed to be back to normal and I’m happy to report she doing fine –minus the
gall bladder. But 2012 brought some great things to the Bennett clas as well. My sister Brenda started a new job as an administer to a residential nursing home and assisted living facility for a non-profit Christian based company just down the street from her house. The first month was rough for her with employee issues but those have sense resolved themselves and she is learning the ropes of assisted living work which is a new endeavor for her. She seems happy and for that I am always greatful. Brenda wasn't the only one that started a new job this year. After working for Mulvaney G2, and archetechtual firm in Portland, for the past 15 years or so, my brother gave notice went in a new and adventurous direction. For years a buddy of his from college had been half joking about starting a private archetechtual firm with him and Brian had always kind of kept it in the back of his mind. When the kinds of projects that Brian wanted to be involved in started dwindling (ecomony issues), he stayed loyal to Mulvaney but after several years and a new offer from this buddy to partner up he made the switch. From the sounds of things, he seems really happy and has more free time to enjoy his family. Plus he is lining up projects that he is really excited about and learning all the ins and outs of owning your own firm.
After months of not getting home til 6 and trying to get
normal daily things done in the few short hours at the end of the day I’d been
neglecting really getting out and having fun in the woods like I love to
do. I mean on the weekends Mace and I
would go for short hikes or most of the time, because of the constant need, go
cut firewood for the winter but non of it was really satisfying my need to be
out in the back country. So for the past
10 days that I’ve been off of work for Christmas break I set out to go
frolicking in the woods near by as much as possible. I love playing in the snow and going out with
all the tree’s flocked with feet of snow and working my way through waist high
drifts reminded me of going Christmas tree hunting with my family as a kid. I
of course took my camera with me everywhere and got some incredible pictures,
including a few of Mace being a goofball which is a rarity. All in all the last 10 days have been an
amazing ending to an interesting year.
I’m not at all sure what 2013 holds for me but I’m
determined that whatever comes my way I make the most of it and just roll with
it. Life is way to short to stress like
I have in the past and when I’m stressed I’m truly unhappy. There are certain kinds of stresses that are
normal parts of daily life but still I think minimizing those parts are critical
to both mental and physical health. So I
look forward to the coming year and have and open mind and open heart to what lies
in the future. I wish you all a very Happy
New Year and hope that you too will also find peace and joy in what the future
holds.
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