Seriously, be careful what you say to people, because you never know when you’ll be eating crow.

I sit here writing this blog, while contemplating the response I should give. I am no where near perfect. However, neither is anyone else. A simple “Please,” “Thank You,” and “I’m sorry” can go a very long way. I will admit, I forget nothing. When I am wronged, it will stay with me like a splinter that I was unable to pull out with tweezers. Remember, I said I wasn’t perfect. That’s one of my flaws.

I’m a go-getter kind of person. I do everything based on knowledge and trail an error. I found that out today about someone that I work with, and I realized that’s why we get a long so well. We ask questions only when we absolutely cannot figure things out ourselves and we exude a ton of confidence. Confidence does not classify us as conceited or that we believe we are better than anyone. It just means we are sure of ourselves and own up to our mistakes/flaws. I realized today that makes people a little intimated by her (and me, too). I only came to this conclusion after another person came to me for help on something I would have no clue about and I went to seek out the answer for her. She didn’t want to go back to the same person she had already been to several times today asking other questions.

My advice to her was, something I tell my own children all the time. I know a little about a lot of things, and I know a lot about a few things. The things I have no clue about, I make it my mission to figure it out when the time comes. She doesn’t not need to be ashamed of anything that she doesn’t know, because we are students of life. It’s when we stop learning or being open to learning new things that we slowly start to die.

Someone said some thing that was more than hurtful it was like committing murder to my existence, yet and still I am the source they turn to for help. A dead person cannot give help or anything else. My first instinct is to be mean and turn my back. I tell everyone from the moment they meet me, that I am mean and the worse possible person to ever call “friend.” I do this to save myself from any kind of hurt. I am no stranger to hurt at all. I attract it everywhere I go. Now, if I go with my first instincts, I am embracing my description of myself to the highest power.

However, I’m a praying woman. I’m waiting for God to give me my message, because somehow deep down inside my being he is trying to tell me something. I am willing to hear his words and learn from them. But while I wait, I have to remember that the devil has jokes, too. He looks for a crack in my foundation and slithers in like a snake in the night wanting to turn my heart completely black. I don’t find him funny. I use his attacks/jokes as an indicator to pray more and harder.

Before I go, I need to recommend another book. I haven’t finished it as yet, but it’s very interesting. I cannot say I have ever read anything like it. It’s available for Kindle and in paperback form.

Wow…not only is it 13 days into the New Year, but it’s also the first Friday the 13th of 2012. I like it. I had better luck today than I did in the last few weeks. I injured my right foot back in October, and re-injured it yesterday. I made it through the day without any incidents and I usually have at least one.

What have I been up to? School, where I teach; school, where I learn; and the school of life. I have learned some things about some people lately, and I am using it all as a lesson as I move forward with my life. Enough on this.

In the school, where I teach (long-term substitute paraprofessional), the assistant principal found out on Monday that I wrote a novel. She made me feel so honored. She got on the morning announcements and told the entire school, even the bus drivers are coming to me in shock. I really need to learn how to promote myself better. I am not the type of person who likes to talk about myself. I tend to keep my feelings, accomplishments, etc. to myself. The students were so proud of me. This overall experience has refueled me. I have been in a very dark place lately. I had prayed for God to give me a pinprick of light, hope to tell me I was doing what he wanted me to do with my life. When the assistant principal looked at me and said she felt honored to be in my presence, my eyes watered up. I felt the presence of God surrounding me. He knew I needed that message badly.

In the school, where I learn, I had to write an ABC children’s book for an assignment. It turned out awesome. The book needed to be illustrated, one of the few requirements. My husband, daughter and I illustrated it in a very unique way. No clipart for me. I wanted to be different. We are researching how to publish this one. We think it would be a great asset to the classroom. There is more than one lesson within the pages. One of the other student’s book was so awesome, however, she cannot publish it because she used a character from a popular children’s book series. The children in her classroom will love it though, and that’s all that matters.

In addition to all those exciting things, I realized God sent me another pinprick of light. I noticed I have seven more courses left to do, before I begin student teaching. I cannot wait to get to that area of my course work. I’m ready to be done with papers and driving across town two nights a week. I’m ready to focus solely on the students I will have in my classroom. For now, I will live vicariously through the other teachers that I co-teach with. I already see changes within the students I work with closely, for that I am grateful for.

As always I have been reading. I wish I could list everything I have read recently here. I recommend both, you won’t regret it.