Tag Archives: inspiration

Thursday Morning Ramblings

February 10, 2011 D.A. Adams Leave a comment

As a teacher, I’ve become a shadow of my former self. There was a time when all of my attention and focus was on the students and their needs. Now, I find myself aggravated when a student asks a question that I’ve already covered. “Why can’t you grasp this?” I think. The younger, less burnt-out me understood that some students need to hear things a couple of different ways before the light bulb comes on. Now, I just feel exhausted from explaining and re-explaining the same concepts over and over and over.

Yesterday, I realized that I’ve become that teacher who runs from the building at every chance. Lunch hour? Get out of my way. End of the day? Try to keep up. As a student, I never understood those teachers. “Why are they still here if they are so unhappy?” I would ponder. Now, I realize that getting away from this profession is not so easy.

I’m a good salesperson and could go back to that, but I’m not sure I want to work for somebody else. I want to get the farm going and productive and work for myself for the first time in my life. I have a good plan and some clearly set goals, but all of it takes time, and I feel like the time here is choking the life from me.

I’m well aware that I’m fortunate to have a job and a steady income, and I am grateful for that fact. My best friend was out of work for nearly a full year, so I saw firsthand how devastating that can be, not just financially but emotionally and spiritually as well. So I do count my blessings and recognize that things could be much, much worse.

But coming to work every day feeling as if the job is killing me is no way to live, so I’m going to make this farm successful. All I need is time to get it off the ground.

www.daadams.com

General Posts

Wednesday Morning Ramblings

February 9, 2011 D.A. Adams Leave a comment

How many of us feel like we’ve been transported to Bizarro World when we weren’t looking? It really feels like our society is collapsing all around us. Basic etiquette is dead; common decency is so rare that when it does happen it feels foreign and out of place; patience has faded into the past; personal pride is vanishing before our eyes. What the hell is happening to us? There’s no simple answer, and any solutions will be met with resistance and controversy by the ones who wish to maintain the status quo, but one of the biggest issues we now face is the rampant apathy that has seeped into every crack and crevice of our culture.

When Christina Aguilera flubbed the National Anthem at the Super Bowl, at first, I wrote it off to nerves. I mean, with hundreds of millions of viewers in nearly two hundred countries, anyone could be overwhelmed by the pressure. However, it turns out that one of the biggest factors is that she blew off rehearsal beforehand. One of the basic tenets that will hold true for as long as people attempt anything is this: “You are going to play how you practice, so practice how you want to play.” I don’t know how many thousands of dollars she was paid for that performance, but whatever the amount, she should have had the gumption to at least rehearse it fully on the stage before doing it live. But I believe apathy took over. Who cares if I get it right. It’s just the National Anthem.

How many times have you walked into a business and been greeted by someone who seems as if they would rather be anywhere but at their job? There’s a Subway on Douglas Dam Road that I won’t be a patron to anymore because the workers there are the most apathetic, lazy people I’ve seen in a business. But they aren’t alone. Nearly every cashier in every fuel station I’ve been in for the last ten years has had a glazed, dull expression on their face. Now, I get that those jobs aren’t the greatest in the world, but could it possibly be that the reason the person is stuck in that job is their attitude?

I’m a classic Gen-Xer, so I’m not claiming that I haven’t had my moments of apathy, but I like to think that in every job I’ve ever held, regardless of how menial, I’ve taken pride in the work I’ve done. I can’t comprehend this new level of detachment that is ruining us. Not too long ago, we were the greatest nation on this planet, and we carried ourselves with pride in our lives and jobs. Now, we just seem like a bunch of slouchers going through the motions. That’s not my country. That’s not the society I want to live in, but how do we change this? From my experiences teaching, I’m certain education alone can’t fix it. So how do we restore our national pride and get people back to caring about the quality of their lives?

General Posts

Wednesday Morning Ramblings

February 2, 2011 D.A. Adams Leave a comment

Eleven years before I got to become “Daddy,” I became an uncle. Today, my oldest niece turns 18, and while the protective side of me is not happy about it, I remember how special and difficult of a time it is. So today’s blog is for you, Brianna, and the following are things I want you to remember as you go through life:

You are a beautiful person, inside and out. You have a good heart and a sweet nature, and one day, hopefully many years from now, you are going to be an excellent mother.

You are intelligent and capable, and you can accomplish anything you strive for as long as you are willing to work hard for it. Never underestimate the power of your own will and the importance of hard work.

Your love is a precious gift. Never let anyone take it for granted, mistreat it, or abuse it. If your heart tells you that you aren’t getting what you want from someone, listen to it. Your heart is a good compass to follow, and if you quieten your brain long enough to hear it, your heart will rarely lead you astray.

I will always have your back. When life knocks you down and the days seem their darkest, remember that and take comfort in it. No matter where you are or what has happened, you can come to me for shelter and safety, so don’t be afraid to take a few chances and reach for your dreams.

The only failures in life are not trying and quitting on your goals. If you come up short or fall on your face, you can learn from that and grow stronger as long as you pick yourself up and keep pressing forward. Nothing worth anything comes easy, and real successes usually come after many failures.

Life can sometimes seem pointless and difficult and overwhelming, and there will be days when you want to give up. Those are the moments when you need to reach deep down inside of yourself, get a firm grasp on your spine, clench your teeth, and get through the dark days. The sunshine will come back eventually.

I love you, my beautiful girl. You have always been more like a daughter than a niece, and I’m very proud of you. Happy birthday with many, many more to come.