Exciting Developments

I totally forgot about a hair appointment I had this morning. This was a very unsettling event, especially because I'm in the midst of one of the most grown-up proceedings in my life.

Last week, while checking my email at Beauford County Public Library on Hilton Head Island, I got a message from Laura Calderone telling me about her summer. She also mentioned that the school where she's teaching next year, a classical Christian school in Maryland, was in dire need of a Latin teacher. As most of you know I was not planning to teach next year because I didn't feel ready. I still don't. I mean, I miss hair appointments even when the salon calls to remind me the day before.

The night before I got the message, however, my dad had been reading to us (despite groaning and complaining) from a book he was reading about "visioneering". And although I still might not be able to define that neologism, the passage he read made me think about my long term plans and what I really want to do with my life. Teaching hasn't exactly been a life-long dream of mine, but more of a "practical" option that I might enjoy as a career. But for some reason after hearing the introduction to that book I began to envision what it might be like to teach.

Then lo and behold, here comes the email! So even though I still felt uncertain about being able to hold sway over a class room of people more than half my age, I decided it wouldn't be a good idea to just dismiss the opportunity. I decided to leave it up to the school to decide. If they needed me, I was willing and actually eager to serve in that way.

That was approximately a week ago. Since then I have completed a rather lengthy application and had my first interview with the headmaster. Today I talked to and recieved last year's lesson plans from the principle of the upper school. And tonight I have a confernce call interview with the school board, the governing body in charge of hiring. Oh yes.

I, who may become a spiritual and academic authority for dozens of young people in middle and high school, cannot keep simple scheduled appointments. It is very sobering.