I’ve flickered between being a realist, optimist and pessimist. That situations have changed me for better or worse, I’m sitting here with you tryna figure that out.

I remember my first 3 years of teaching in special education with a high needs population. I don’t like tooting my own horn but honk, honk! I was good with the students, often receiving high praise from the district office. Problem was, no matter how much I did, the paraprofessionals assigned to my room were constantly undermining me, and each other for that matter. While my generosity was equally extended to them, it was to no avail.

Long story short, recently, one of them relayed through social media that she acquired a teaching position. Sitting there on my phone, I whooped, Congratulations! You’re going to do great! with a side-eye. It was pure hell working with her, folks. But if hell is in you, it needs a place to wallow. It can be a sneaky thing too when it trickles out in bits. You feel me?

Anyhow!

What saved me from the aforementioned shenanigan of a human was me leaning heavily into my creativity. And I reflect on this as a reminder ’cause when I really think about it, it’s the most honest place I can be.

Where do you lean?