Pulling Out A Reminder

Back in September, I received notice at work that I was eligible to apply for promotion. I filed the email away, not sure if I wanted to actually go through the motions of putting a promotion portfolio together, and when only a couple of days remained for me to declare my intentions to do so to the VP of Instruction, I decided I would go ahead and let the chips fall where they may. At that time I had six months to work on the portfolio, so I began sorting through all the "stuff" from the last three years and categorizing according to the different sections of the portfolio. Then Mom collapsed. The promotion portfolio was the furthest thing from my mind. And with Mom's death, thoughts about the promotion portfolio became nonexistent until about three weeks ago, when I could feel myself beginning to ease out of the grayness of grief.

With encouragement from Hubby and colleagues, I began considering trying to put the promotion portfolio together. I didn't think I had enough time. Three weeks to write up four different sections--teaching philosophy, instructional design, assessment practices, and academic engagement--along with teaching six sections of composition, along with grading, along with family commitments, along with training means not having a lot of down time. Somehow, though, things are getting done.Slowly but surely, the four sections are getting finished up and the supporting documents are being put into place. Classes are going along well. I was able to attend and thoroughly enjoy Angel Baby's band concert the other evening, and I've been on the trainer at least four times a week for an hour or longer. With a couple of hours put in on the portfolio tomorrow, I'll be able to finish it completely and be ready to walk it to HR on Monday.

Though I might not receive the promotion, at least I will have made the attempt. I know I wouldn't have felt good about myself if I had just let the opportunity slip by. I went this route a long, long time ago over something I was scared to attempt, and a wise woman, a sadness in her voice, sat next to me on the living room couch and told me I would regret my actions one day. It didn't take long for that day to come, and ever since, I've kept that decision I made so long ago near just in case I needed a reminder to live in such a way as to have no regrets.

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