I’m writing this as I sit in my hotel in Stockton having
arrived a few minutes ago thereby completing the rare Yorkton-Stockton,
same-day double. (As an aside I’d love to hear if anyone else has ever done
that trip.) I had an awesome morning in Yorkton with an energetic,
enthusiastic, large audience of committed educators looking to ensure the year
winds down with positive outcomes for their students and themselves.
I shared
with them the notion of choice and how we need to take responsibility for the
decisions we make. I spoke of waking up in the morning determined to have a
great day and then taking the steps to make it so. Beginning with an enjoyable
early morning run through the streets of Yorkton where I greeted people I met
and continuing through the breakfast at the hotel where I swapped travel
stories with some seniors who were also on the road, to getting to the
auditorium and greeting people as they arrived.
You can
start to feel the energy that emerges from these interactions and quickly see
the contrast that appears with choosing to have a bad day. I am convinced that
there are folks who get up in the morning and decide to do just that – and
guess what happens? They have a bad day! From the person who cuts them off in
traffic, to the colleague who jams the photocopier they needed at the last
minute, and on to the person who only left three sips of coffee in the pot. The
world is conspiring against them (or so their mindset suggests).
No, today
was going to be a great day and I’m thankful to colleagues who made it that
way. Their feedback on Twitter (follow me @thierck), via e-mail, and in person
lifted me and reminded me how fortunate I am to get to do this work. The behind
the scenes work of Kelly Lambert well in advance of my visit and ongoing effort
during my visit was awesome. Retired Principal and current board member Richard
Haake giving up time to pick me up and drop me off two hours down the road in
Regina meant we had four hours to swap great stories. The ongoing Tweets
buzzing off my Blackberry made arriving late for my departing flight almost
inconsequential. In fact, reading some of these messages made me want to turn
around and do some more work with the group:
"don't lower the bar,
just create steps for the students to get there" #heartoftheteacher
Really enjoyed your
presentation today. Thanks for providing
some inspiration to finish the year strong.
Thanks for the inspiration
this morning @thierck
as I finish up the last six weeks of my first year as a teacher! #lovemyjob #gssd204
A return to
Stockton was becoming an even more viable option because it was possible that
the stern face at the airline counter in Regina was not going to let me board
my flight. Therein lies the moment of truth in making a decision and sticking
to it. My great day was not going to be sidetracked. I was clearly late and I
understood the consequence of that. I would not have traded the last 20 minutes
of the morning session or feedback nor speed up the drive with Richard. My
choice was to continue to enjoy the day. I apologized for my lateness and let
the person at the counter know how much I appreciated them extending themselves
for me. I did explain that I was not a regular traveler through the Regina airport
and the importance of getting to my next site that evening. I didn’t think this
was the time to get negative or louder or blame someone else. My desperation
must have worked as I watched a phone call occur, permission be granted, and a
boarding pass printed. The folks at security were delightful and gave me a
smile as I raced through to get to my gate. The people at the desk graciously
accepted my apology and let me know there was still time before boarding. Off
to Denver I flew.
Clearing
Customs in Denver was a breeze. The Officer asked how I was doing and when I
said “fabulous” she wanted to know why. I shared with her how great my day was
going, the neat people I had met, and the good friends I was going to work
with. The great day was on a roll! I picked up a paper in the airport and
decided it was time to get some food. I have a confession to make – I have
never eaten a Philly Cheesesteak sandwich (or I had never eaten one until that
moment). I saw the restaurant advertising them and a huge line so I figured
they must be good. I got in line and struck up a conversation with the fellow
in front of me. He told me he grew up in South Africa but now resides in
Houston where he does high-level security. We swapped stories about kids and
travel and then I confessed my secret. He was dumbstruck for a moment and
couldn’t comprehend someone reaching my age without indulging in the Philly
Cheesesteak. He motioned for me to come to the counter with him and bought me
my first Philly. Awesome! We headed to our gates without ever exchanging names
but both sharing a view that great days are there for the making and the
taking.
I checked
in at the gate hoping to get an aisle seat but there were none available. I
thanked the person for checking and waited to board. I got to my row and middle
seat (ugh) but thought, “if this is the low point, it’s a great day”. The
window seat person arrived as I was reading through my newspaper and she was
interested in the stories. I offered her the paper and she was so happy she offered
me some chocolates! Awesome again! To make it even better, our aisle seat
person never arrived and we were the only row with two people in three seats.
Does it get any better than this?
