Lots of Rodeos
Good Morning Everyone!
Happy Wednesday!
I have a person that I am connected to on Facebook who is someone that I crossed paths with about 17 years ago when I worked with her child (now adult) at a different school in VT. I then also coached her child for a few years on a travel AAU basketball team. This mom was also a teacher in a VT school. These days, we don't really have any occasion to connect in person - our lives have moved on, and our former common link - her child - is grown and has moved into an amazing life outside of VT. But I stay in pretty close contact with this woman on Facebook because we have discovered that we share a love of the same kind of humor.
Our style is very clean and very mild, and usually has something to do with child-rearing, being a teacher, or just stuff about life lessons that we, sometimes hard-headed humans, have to learn. We share little vignettes and subsequent quick snippets of conversation, but in general, that is where our connection ends. I share this little story because we had an exchange about something funny yesterday, which I'll share with you in a moment, but it reminded me of this quote...
Here are some examples of the positives and some of the negatives.
Positive:
My Grandmother - She stood up for what was right, even at great personal cost. She worked extremely hard for what she had in life and loved to talk to and meet people. She never forgot a name or a face, and always found ways to connect with people wherever she went. I'd say she may be the reason I am who I am today. She passed away about 7 years ago at the age of 99. Being with her when she passed was one of the most peaceful moments of my life.
A gentleman named Charlie Reis - He was a custodian at my high school, but also that parent of another girl I coached once upon a time. Charlie was always very down to earth. He was a former police officer and always had a word of encouragement or advice to offer me. He looked gruff on the exterior, but he was a big teddy bear on the inside, and I always admired his sense of humor about life. He also passed away a number of years ago, but I am still in touch with his daughter and remember him fondly always.
My Friend Elizabeth from grade school and high school - I always admired her strength of character. She never compromised herself for others, she was smart and never was afraid to show it, and she was always there if I needed a friend, even when I might not have deserved her friendship. I don't know where she is today, but if I did I would tell her that she left a lasting impact on me, and that I hope she knew just how much I looked up to her.
Fr. Mike - Mike was a priest at the college I attended. He was one of the kindest and most down-to-earth people I've ever met. I am not hugely religious, but that kind of stuff didn't matter to Fr. Mike. When I was in college, I met with a big life stumbling block, and he recognized it, even when I didn't. He knew I needed something that would get me back on track, and so gave me the leadership of a huge project. I completely doubted myself at times that I could pull this project off, but in the end, it was a success. I am forever grateful to Fr. Mike for opening my eyes to my own self-worth, and for giving me something to put my energies toward during my time of struggle. The St. Mike's community lost Mike a couple of years ago, but he leaves a huge legacy.
Now for some of the not-so-positive ones...but ones I learned from nonetheless...
Devin - He was a boy who was a grade or two younger than me in middle and elementary school, and I remember that he antagonized me a lot. The specifics are fuzzy now, but I remember his face clearly and how much I disliked his negative attention. I also remember learning to stand up for myself in the face of his torment. I remember learning to be strong, firm, and direct in dealing with him. He has faded into obscurity, but the lessons I learned about standing up for myself have not.
The mother of one of my best friends in middle school - I was friends with her daughter, but the mother never missed an opportunity to make me feel small. I had a hard time understanding this as a kid, but I think looking back on it, she was just insecure about herself and her daughter at times, and she didn't want me to upstage her daughter in any way. I quickly learned that her home was not a supportive place for me, and I learned to make other friendships. I sometimes wish it could have been different for her daughter and me, but I learned that my mental health had to be my first priority.
My Gymnastics coach from my childhood - Gymnastics never ended up being my jam - probably because I am one of the most physically inflexible people you'll ever meet, but also because my coach called me a "chicken" one day because I wouldn't do a backflip on the trampoline. I have never forgotten her words, and I never stepped foot in her gym after that day. I try to always remember the effect words can have on others. You should too. Just stay kind!
You might not be able to take stalk now of the people that are affecting you in big and small ways today, but I guarantee they are there. Try to tune into those that are encouraging you to be your best self, and try to learn from those that are not. And for goodness sake try to leave positive footprints on the hearts of others. You don't want to end up on someone's list of negatives forty years from now.
So back to the funny that I shared with my friend on FB yesterday...there is a saying, which goes something like this: "yeah...this isn't my first rodeo!" Meaning the second time around you know better or presumably you've learned all you need to know. So here is the meme...
You might think that the messages I've been delivering here in this blog over the past 365+ days are repetitive, (I do wonder sometimes) but this funny reminds us that we need lots of rodeos to learn the important lessons in life. Consider this one of them!
Peace to you all today!
Mrs. Hempey
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