#93 Visits From Best Friends

My niece Callie came up to visit me in Seattle with my dad, who was kind enough to fly up and help me move. Among other things, we went to the Pacific Science Center. Callie even touched
a cockroach, which totally surprised me....and she taught me a little life lesson too: She asked me why people don't like cockroaches...it was obvious to her that they didn't hurt people because "the lady wouldn't be holding it if it hurt her." This ties a lot into what my friend Kim said the other day. A lot of times our stresses and fears are unwarranted and occur because of our misperceptions or our judgments. I want to be more like Callie. I want to face even the ugly things with courage.

Something I HATE!

I've written a lot about things that I love, but here's something I hate. With a passion. STRIKING! I hate conflict of any kind, it stresses me out when people don't agree, and a strike is a huge conflict. It goes against my very nature and it takes all the energy in the world to wake up at 6:30 am and get out there and picket. Every day. The thing is, maybe it's my completely idealistic nature, but I like the believe that when the district gives us their "best and final offer," they really mean it's their "best and final offer." I really want to believe that they do value and respect us, and that they want to pay us more, they just can't. There's so much backbiting that goes on, and I can't stand it when people start talking bad about the administration. Maybe they did make mistakes. But I have a hard time believing they're trying to manipulate us and the public. Maybe they really are, but I think we'd all be better off doing as Elder Holland once admonished "assume the good and doubt the bad." I'm done with this whole thing , and yet I want to support the teachers, so I continue to picket.