This is the moment. I’m standing here at the crossroads. Turning back is no longer an option. And moving forward is scary as hell. There are a million roads ahead of me. I can go this way or that. But my GPS is currently not working so I have no clue which way to turn.

That sounds like a song doesn’t it?  It really isn’t a song. It’s honestly where I am in my life at this very moment. This job…the job I’ve been complaining about for well over a year is coming to an end. In May I’ll pack my work space and shout “bon debarras” to the bullshit.

 I should be happy about it. I am happy.

But I guess I feel like the Freedmen  of 1865…happy as hell that slavery has ended…but wondering “Now what?” “What will I do?”

I’ve been on my metaphorical plantation so long that I’ve forgotten what it’s like to be free. And here I am…finally free, not knowing which way is north.

“What do you do when you have nothing to fall back on? You fly.”

I’ve entered into a phase of self-reflection. And it kinda sucks. I’ve learned a few things about myself in the last few weeks that I’m not sure I’m happy about. Life’s challenges will do that to you…give you greater insight about the person you’ve become. Here’s what I learned:

1)  I am certainly NOT the easiest person to work with! Ha! Why is this a revelation to me? And why did my coworker choose to tell me this in front of a room filled with students? As you can guess I did not handle his assertion very well. Normally, when people say stupid comments to me, I let them slide for fear of confrontation. But sometimes life calls for a little confrontation. So, I put on my big girl panties and had a conversation with my coworker that was long overdue.

2) The first time you curse at me, I retreat. But if you have balls enough to do it a second time, I attack. And attack is what I did when a 16 year old told me to “Shut the f*ck up”. Mind you, this is the same sixteen-year-old that called me a b*tch a few weeks prior. So, with this second offense, I mustered up every piece of profanity that was in my brain and let it spill out of my mouth onto the little disrespectful sixteen-year-old. Believe me, ladies and gentlemen, he will never make the mistake of cursing me again.

3) If you light someone’s hair on fire, it will burn. I  never thought I’d witness someone’s hair being burnt. But certainly, there is a first time for everything. There I was, teaching all there is to know about Greek mythology. Suddenly, there was a shreik. I turn and look behind me to see a cloud of heavy, black smoke surrounding a girl’s head. The boy, who sat beside her was hurriedly stuffing something in his pocket. Yes, it was a lighter. Yes, her hair burned. Yes, it smelled like nothing I had even enhaled before. I was sick. It took me hours to recover from the sight. The girl ended up with a new hairdo. And I may need a therapist.

So that, my dear readers, is the tale of my very exciting week. I pray this week turns out to be much calmer that last. Otherwise, I will soon have to check myself into the nearest psychiatric facility.