The good and the bad of it...

I talked with my old therapist, whom I haven't spoken with since 2003... It was so great to hear her voice again. I've really missed her, especially when I was attempting to find a new therapist up here. I guess I'm just too picky, and so I was never happy with any one else. Anyway, I have a plan formulated- kind of. The new plan is to work here and get money together by late August so that I can move down to Los Angeles, where I will begin a traditional credential program at a school that I haven't yet decided upon. That will be what's next on my agenda. (Applying to a few different programs down there.) The top choices are Mount Saint Mary's, Pacific Oaks, and CSULA... anybody with comments on any of that, let me know what you think...

So there's the good of it. The bad... well, when I stopped seeing said therapist it was because I had acquired a huge tab, and was unable to pay her. Before I start seeing her again I want to be able to give her what I owe her, as well as have enough to feel confident that I'll be able to keep paying. My tab was 500 dollars! There's that along with the cost of an apartment's first and last which will probably be around 2000... so essentially I'm gonna be bustin' my butt to work a job or two along with sell off some of my stuff.

I sold most of my movies and CDs when I needed to move a few years back, but I have over 100 books that I'm in the process of cataloging in my library, (this way I can someday rebuild should I chose to) and I'm hoping to sell off the lot of them. I've got text books, fiction, non-fiction political, non-fiction reference... and now I feel like a used car salesman. :-) Anyway, I'll probably set up on Amazon or e-bay or something... the update will be posted, of course. I also think I'll ask my friend's and family if they'd be willing to donate a few cents to a few dollars to my cause. It is a worthy one after all. (e-mail imjdo5@yahoo.com subject: "Your Cause" for a way to help out.)

I want to get to LA so that I can start my credential program, but also to see my therapist so that I can become better equipped to teach. I want so badly to make a difference in the world. I want to have a positive impact on every life I touch, but even more so, I want to be able to teach the children in my classroom how to love and respect themselves. If they love and respect themselves they are more likely to treat others this way, and in treating others this way, we can all begin to affect change. I know that I can 'teach' these concepts in my classroom, but if I don't know how to implement them in my own life, then it will be evident to my students, and children are keen to pick up subtleties. And the whole "do as I say, not as I do" principle never really works. The only way to really teach is to know, and the only way to know is to do... so it is clear to me what I need to do. I need to get to LA and continue my work with **** so that I will be ready to show what it means to "be the change you wish to see in the world".