balance

The past week has once again proven to me that balance is an essential of life. For example it can be a balance struck between work and leisure or activities that fill your life so one does not over ride the other. this past week has been the balance between the downs and the ups of life.

One week ago today I set out on Thursday morning to teach my English 100 comp class for Hutchinson Community College. It was beautiful morning and highway fifty,fondly known as the death road, was really not busy. I arrived and put my books down to sign in on the attendance for faculty computer when I noticed an odd look on the faces of the receptionists. My class on Thursday meets in McPherson some 45 minutes away. Back roads and maximum safe speed got me to my destination just ten minutes late. As I had called the campus,my class was still there. Still I felt rather like the foggy professor stereotype.

The following Monday I was again in Newton. this time to teach my ITV class from the Newton site and It was both the right place and the right time. Feeling the need of caffeine I decided to get a coke but discovered I had no change. So I used my debit card in the machine, grabbed my coke and taught for two hours. I drove home and when I got there needed my debit card number only I did not have my debit card. I ransacked my purse, books and jeans pockets not once but several times. I called the Newton campus and asked them to look. No debit card was located. I called my bank and cancelled it and arranged for a new card. Later that night as I took off my jeans I noticed something in the pocket --- way down deep in the pocket. Yes, it was he lost and now useless debit card.

Tuesday , the next day actually, I parked at the middle school where I am an ESL para and when I got out of the car my left leg felt wet. It was and my orange jeans were sporting a damp blue spot. My purse had a wet corner( do not ask me how) and a pen had bled through.( Vera Bradley purses can do this, I have found.) Soap, water, and the help of a fellow para diminished the spot but did not erase it all. I was aware of the blemish all day tough no one else mentioned it.

Those are the downs. The ups? Last night two girl friends and I laughed , gripe, told stories the way women do at a local steak house.It was belated birthday get together for my birthday and a relaxing night for all of us.One them gave me a gift and the steak house donated their birthday brownie and ice cream treat. Tonight another friend and I are meeting for supper and then checking out some of the Third Thursday venues in our downtown area.

Having reached my age Life's ups and downs, snags and sanity are part of the normal pattern. One balance the other but they often do not come so closely. The cycle between a down time and and up event may be years but it will happen. Teens and younger people often have learned this lesson. They are down down and do not see or expect the ups. the ups will come. It is a lesson that life teaches us and it is taught over and over. It is a balance.