'All's Well That Ends Well', Sumn Like That...

To whomethsoever this might concern:

When I walk across that stage, shake hands, turn the tassel and graduate, praise the Lord. But don't throw me any parties, because I will not have achieved anything. It was a needless necessity and someday I'll prove it. Until then, there's nothing to celebrate.

When I cut my hair, turn in my sneakers, tuck my shirt in, straighten my tie and step into the classroom, praise the Lord. But don't thank me yet; your school systems won't be saved even with an infinite number of new teachers. And what are you gonna do when your students get hit with a flood of truth for the first time by yours truly? What are you gonna do when parents want me fired for holding them accountable when you didn't have the balls to? But nah, you don't hafta worry about that. Because, for me, it'll just be a profession. A living. A means to a financial end. And I can't spit the truth and get all pushy and keep my job, now can I...

Don't worry though, I know exactly what the formula is to fix your schools. Praise the Lord... but don't get your hopes up. At least for about 3-4 years. Because, you see, in 3-4 years I'll have the "experience" and the "tenure" so that my word will actually mean something to the school boards. It's the same word as the word I have now, but with more... "leverage", sumn like that. As if the students aren't the products of the school system even moreso than the teachers, right?... But yeah, maybe in 3-4 years you'll have a reason to celebrate...

And hey, maybe I will too. See, I can teach during the year and work on my real interests for 2 months every summer. 2 months is plenty of time to write, record, produce, mix and master my own music. Maybe I'll even be able to finish some of my books and other projects with the plethora, the cornucopia of leftover time... Start up my home writing business or mentoring business or my radio station and grow them up in those 2 big ol' months of the year...

...Nope. But in all this, I got one thing I can really look forward to celebrating. See, once I bite this bullet and graduate, then bite another bullet for good measure and go into teaching, I'll be financially secure, making steady payments on this house and paying all my own bills. And I'm learning, sometimes that's about all you can really ask for...

If the Lord continues to bless me with good health and continues to take care of those around me, a steady income job is really all I can ask for. And hey, even if my songs or stories or drawings or poems never see the light of day... well... I'm not gonna live vicariously through my children or anything like that; that wouldn't be fair to them. So I guess... they just won't see the light of day then.

No big deal, right?... B-J