Feeling Lucky

There are times when I realize just how good my life is. Sure, I could use a little less stress, a little more money, the metabolism of a twelve year old....
But I have enough of what I need, and more than enough, too.  Take my job, for instance. I love what I do.  I was asked recently by a colleague if I really liked my job.  I thought for a moment, then answered decisively, yes.  This colleague was having some struggles, facing a daunting work load, uncertain job security, and troublesome students, and he didn't even know if he had chosen the right career.
Now, I'm lucky. I came into teaching later in life, after experiencing the business sector, and I knew that I needed to find a calling, not just a career. So when I made the transition into education at 30 years old, it was a conscious choice to accept the hard work, the low pay, and often thankless clientele, because I was trading up in the fulfillment category.  But the truth is, there is much joy in Mudville, even when schools are striking out with budget cuts, layoffs, scandals, and government scrutiny.
When you work with good people who love what they do and share their passion with you, the enthusiasm is contagious. Same for creativity.  One person's great idea for how to deliver a math lesson in a more exciting way can lead to your own idea for how to teach a grammar concept with pizazz. And sharing ideas leads to sharing jokes, and stories, and struggles.  Which leads to a feeling of being a part of team, a community. 
These last few days, I was even more fortunate. Not only did I get to spend intense quality time sharing ideas with colleagues from my own school, I got to learn from experts and peers about new, innovative, mind-bending ways of teaching and using technology in the classroom. And I got to do it while a substitute took over my class for two whole days, and I was free to absorb as much of this ed-tech culture as I could handle. But wait, there's more! I got to act like a regular adult, taking an hour for a leisurely lunch to chat about what I'd learned with others over a plated meal.  I got to sit in the student's seat, listening, learning, taking copious notes, while someone else's feet got tired and voice got hoarse from standing and presenting all day. 
And all of this was made possible because, even in this time of belt-tightening, sometimes there are people in charge of things who actually see what has value and find money to invest in it, and that is what my principal did. 
So I feel very lucky, on this Luck-o-the-Irish March 17th, as I return home from a valuable conference, where amazing ideas were sparked and shared, and look forward to a day of rest tomorrow so my brain can recover from overload, before I meet my students again on Monday, full of ideas, energy, and appreciation for my lot in life.
Speaking of lots, someone bought me a lottery ticket yesterday as part of a pool.  I don't know yet if we have won.  When I said I have enough of what I need, I didn't mean I would turn down a little pot of gold if one happened to pop up in my way!