I can handle this...

The school concerts are going well. Since starting last Friday, we've had 3 concerts, i.e. 3 elementary schools, a day. We are hitting all the elementary schools in this city which equals about 22 schools. The concerts last about 45 minutes, but since they are spread out in the mornings and afternoons, there leaves much free time. And since all of us drive in from out of town (the 4 musicians and the personnel manager who introduces us and gives the kids free tickets for the up-coming children's concert with the symphony), we have been taking long, relaxing lunches followed by a long, relaxing coffee. We've all gotten to know each other better through lunching experiences at some of the slightly finer restaurants in the area, though I always try to choose the cheapest item which always ends up being soup. (I would like to have a little left over from the paycheck.)

It truly is a dream job, however short lived. Our last 3 concerts are next Wednesday. But today I had a couple of interesting leads for some potential regular work after this. At one of the schools today, the band director got my phone number so that his little beginner oboist could call me for lessons. I'd love to teach again; I taught around 8 students in my undergrad, but in this small community it takes a little longer to get your name out as opposed to a college professor re-directing young players to you. And when I got home this afternoon, there was a message from the job placement agency with news about a possible job for me as a receptionist in an insurance company, part-time. The agency is going to let me know if this job will be flexible with my coming Chicago trip and then I'd have to have an interview, so we'll see.

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This week during the bible study I attend semi-regularly, we talked about "expectations from life". The context was a successful college president who chose to resign in order to care for his wife, sick with alzheimer's disease. Instead of resenting the fact he was giving up his desires for a person who couldn't even fully appreciate his efforts, he felt joy in caring for someone he loved. We discussed how the expectations we have set for our lives can make us bitter when things don't go according to our plan.

I've been feeling a lot more content lately, as I briefly mentioned in my last post. When I first moved home, I was reluctant to commit myself to staying for any amount of time. I didn't want to get in too deeply, thus making it easier to settle and harder to ever leave again. But lately I've been less concerned about leaving and more relaxed about taking advantage of opportunities while I'm here. Maybe I'm just finally content to see the practicality of the situation and am finally okay with it. Or maybe it's just the wintery weather calming me into submission, because I know as soon as spring comes I'll feel antsy again to get back to the vibrancy of city life and to a variety of nature!