This would be what I traditionally refer to as a transitional period. The fall semester has ended, Christmas is on its way and I even have a bit of a break between athletic events when I don't have to be at work. I'm not always good at transitions because they usually infer change and I'm definitely still trying to be better at change.
I taught my first college class this semester, but it wasn't really mine... at least not from the beginning. I'm looking forward to setting the tone in a couple of weeks for a class that I can really call my own. I want to be good at this... Sometimes I'm afraid to really go after something I really want because I don't want to fail. If I don't try then it's easier to explain whey I didn't get it. I'm determined to try. I want to work at this... I want to be good at this.
I taught my first college class this semester, but it wasn't really mine... at least not from the beginning. I'm looking forward to setting the tone in a couple of weeks for a class that I can really call my own. I want to be good at this... Sometimes I'm afraid to really go after something I really want because I don't want to fail. If I don't try then it's easier to explain whey I didn't get it. I'm determined to try. I want to work at this... I want to be good at this.
I closed on my house May 2, 2008. For most of the first year I had three other people living with me or at least paying rent. By this past summer I was living by myself and loving the freedom but at least a bit more conscious of safety. I'm not a big fan of people complaining about Fayetteville being unsafe. I like Fayetteville and I've never felt unsafe. There's crime there... I'm not denying that... but there's crime everywhere. I never felt like I was at more risk in my neighborhood than the country club neighborhood. At the same time when a traveling salesman rang my doorbell one day this summer trying to sell APX alarm systems, I took him up on it. I was going to be spending a lot of time traveling over the summer and figured it couldn't hurt. They convinced me to put one of those annoying signs in my yard and gave me all of my equipment free. Five hours later, I had a working alarm system. I googled the company after they left and they have a ton of complaints listed that gave me some concerns, but I haven't head a problem in the six months or so that I have been with them. Most people laughed at my "purchase" and told me it would be cheaper just to put the sign in my yard. Over Thanksgiving a couple of guys that work at school and live a couple of streets over were robbed. They didn't have an alarm and their house was trashed but the cops told them, even with an alarm, the robbers were so quick they couldn't guarantee an alarm would have stopped it. Even so, they installed an alarm system.
Less than a month later and I got a call from a friend/co-worker. She asked what I was doing and then told me my house had been broken into. She had to be kidding. The alarm system had tried to call me but my phone was charging in another room and I missed it so they called her. Her husband had gone to my house to meet the cop since I was home with my family. I had just driven 13 hours through a blizzard to get home... hadn't been home 24 hours and was having nightmares about having to drive back down to a wrecked house. I know they are just material things... it's a house... not my life, but I have never felt so violated. Through a series of phone calls I eventually learned the person or people broke through my side door, but when the alarm went off they ran off. They never made it in the house. The sign in my front yard didn't work... the alarm system I pay for every month did. That's not to say that it always will. I'm not so naive to think an alarm system works miracles... but tonight I'm grateful for APX alarms. I'm also grateful for my friend and her husband for taking care of things Sunday night. I also have the best cousins in the world... they went over and repaired my door for me all within 24 hours.
This time next week I'll be sleeping in my house by myself with an alarm set praying for safety... and thanking God for another night sleeping in my house.
Less than a month later and I got a call from a friend/co-worker. She asked what I was doing and then told me my house had been broken into. She had to be kidding. The alarm system had tried to call me but my phone was charging in another room and I missed it so they called her. Her husband had gone to my house to meet the cop since I was home with my family. I had just driven 13 hours through a blizzard to get home... hadn't been home 24 hours and was having nightmares about having to drive back down to a wrecked house. I know they are just material things... it's a house... not my life, but I have never felt so violated. Through a series of phone calls I eventually learned the person or people broke through my side door, but when the alarm went off they ran off. They never made it in the house. The sign in my front yard didn't work... the alarm system I pay for every month did. That's not to say that it always will. I'm not so naive to think an alarm system works miracles... but tonight I'm grateful for APX alarms. I'm also grateful for my friend and her husband for taking care of things Sunday night. I also have the best cousins in the world... they went over and repaired my door for me all within 24 hours.
This time next week I'll be sleeping in my house by myself with an alarm set praying for safety... and thanking God for another night sleeping in my house.
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