Encouragement / Discouragement

Much encouragement this week, for a rare change. We had an event of the sort that I usually hate, where we bring in a bunch of “great thinkers” and watch them tug at their elbow patches and pontificate on how we could do things better. Normally, these thinking sessions are so far removed from the political/Political realities that we work with here in the The Entire State that they can only be seen as endearingly naive (if I’m in a really generous mood), or (if I’m more bitter) as dangerously stupid. So I avoid these sessions like I avoid rats with rayguns. But this one was stunningly good, full of people with real ideas that I could really use, presented in a completely non-threatening way. In fact, I think that I was the only person who said a negative thing about the Department all day, and I was just being honest about our historical shortcomings and our seeming inability to get out the message on what we do for the people of the State. And I walked away from the session with some very solid ideas on how to achieve some of the things I really want to get done in the next year or two, things that I’ll really be able to point to as my contributions to public health and the environment. In addition, I met someone I’ve wanted to meet for a very long time, who once sat in my seat (not literally; this seat is brand spanking new), and who is a very respected thinker who gives me hope that there is life after this, and he was warm and receptive and invited me to visit him any time I’m in DC, which I certainly will do at the earliest opportunity.
And then I got home from that heady session to find the girls’ first report cards of the year, and they both did unbelievably well. They’re both quite smart and hard workers, so I expect them to get good grades, and I praise them for what they do well and try to offer support or suggestions in the areas where they need some improvement. Except that in this marking period, there weren’t any. Well, one: the younger one needs to either sit on her bottom during circle time, or sit in the back of the circle. Not because she’s disruptive when she’s up on her knees, but because she’s too tall, and blocks the other kids’ view.
That’s it. The major academic challenge my daughters face. And Hannah, who sometimes agonizes over math but does it quite well, actually did better in math than anything else (A+ instead of poor old A’s). Fantastic.
On the discouragement side, I thought my foot sprain and iliotibial band issues were finally over, and I’ve been better again about my stretching, but I went out at lunch today, first time this week, and went right back to where I had been. Hurting left foot, f’d up right ITB. Run, walk, stretch, repeat, all the way back from the 2 mile mark. Never gonna get to First Night this way.