Fun-employed

Hire me!

It seems to be a steep mountain to climb in this pursuit of new employment. How was I to know the job market was going to tank while we were away on our year abroad? If I knew at the time I told Monrovia Unified goodbye last year that there would be so few jobs when I returned...I wouldn't have changed a thing of course!

In hindsight I see a safe and secure job teaching elementary school that I could be doing at this moment, had we not ventured out. It would have made all the resume, cover letter, copies of credentials, market yourself stuff a non-entity. The people I haven't heard back from for positions I have applied wouldn't be frustrating me at this moment. And the prospect of being unemployed in a profession that has seen monumental budget cuts wouldn't seem as daunting.

Fortunately, this process has been more enjoyable than not. It has given me the chance to spend more time thinking of long-term career goals and reevaluate what is important to me in this field. It has been pushing me to become more in-tune with my views on education and become more aware of the details that make for a visionary leader (something I aspire to become someday). I'm not sure I would have been pushed to make these explorations had I not quit when I did.

I do feel extremely fortunate in the midst of this transition to have places to stay, supportive families, and an nonthreatening financial situation. My heart goes out the the other huge percentage of unemployed who don't have that luxury. I admit that I do not think or pray for these folks nearly enough, but instead find plenty of time to be preoccupied with my own stuff. Another goal.

An Interesting Read

Although maybe not a summer beach read, I did enjoy recently reading 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus, by Charles C. Mann. I think our adventures in Central America inspired this choice from the library a few weeks ago. 1491 reads a little like a textbook in parts and historical narrative in others, with the anthropological and archaeological jargon kept to a minimum. I didn't bore of this book though, and enjoyed discovering what the Americas were like prior to Columbus. My knowledge in this area was only what I had learned in school, which was not much. This was in fact one of the tenants of the book: that what we learned in school isn't completely factual nor relevant to the history of the Americas. So what were some of those tidbits of Pre-Columbian America that previously were excluded from traditional history books? Here are two:

First, it is estimated that 90-95% of Native American populations were decimated by small-pox prior to any large number of European settlers arriving. It is often taught that Europeans were the main culprits to these numbers. This isn't diminishing their responsibly in ending many great civilizations in the Americas; it is just giving more credit to the Native Americans who were here. Basically, if it weren't for disease, they totally could have held their own against these foreigners from Europe. Their numbers were superior and their technology was just as advanced. The only real advantage the Europeans had were horses (and maybe gun power, though arrows were much faster than loading a gun).

Second, a typical fact taught in schools is that people-groups walked from the Asian continent through the landmass between Russia and Alaska, to populate both N. and S. America toward the end of the ice age. Mann and other scientists find this to not be completely probable.
For one, how did those folks crossing into Alaska walk all the way down to S. America, through truly challenging conditions, and populate a continent in such a short period of time (dates given in book). According to Mann, impossible! Instead, perhaps groups used boats to cruise down the Pacific Coast, living close to shore and eating a lot of fish. It would make the journey that much faster. It is also a hope of scientists to one day discover groups who may have always been here.

Where are we?

Trisha and I are currently living in the Crowley Lake area outside of Mammoth. We are "house-sitting" if you will, using my parents' currently uninhabited house. Although we have been doing a lot of work on future stuff, it hasn't been too difficult to adjust to life in the mountains. Sure the pace is slow and we can go all day not seeing anyone if we choose, but if there is anyplace to be unemployed, this is it. We will be returning to Pasadena on Monday, for some more "house-sitting" and doggie care. My parents will be vacating their loft for three weeks while they travel, so Trisha and I will be there to take over dog care responsibilities etc. Anyone have a house or apartment they want looked after? We have updated resumes and references to boot!