Character Intro #2: Behind the Scenes

Kierstin Kilbourne was my attempt at designing the ultimate dream girl. She is smart, beautiful and compassionate despite all that she's been through. It's her resiliency and her ability to remain such a positive force even after having endured so much personal tragedy that defines her for me.

When I first conceived of these characters and their personal histories, I decided to couple them with some of the friends that I had made at a week long summer workshop (a workshop I often affectionately referred to as "brain camp") that I attended at BGSU. Kierstin's first name was originally Teresa, named for Teresa Hoying, a girl that I had a tremendous crush on that week. However, for some reason, the name just didn't seem to fit the character, so it ultimately was changed. However, there are qualities that i found attractive in Teresa that remain inherent in the character despite the name change. The name Kierstin came about from a secondary character on the TV series Party Of Five . I really liked the sound of that name, although I may have changed the ending sound from an "en" to an "in", but that's beside the point.

Visually speaking, I immediately conjured up an image of the actress Marta Kristen. Growing up, I would watch old reruns of Lost in Space and she was the epitome of blonde beauty to me. As Judy Robinson, she really didn't provide much to the series except window dressing, but somehow, in my eyes, her beauty managed to elevate her above the campiness that the once promising series had sunken to.

Kilbourne came from an actress named Wendy Kilbourne. She was never really a prolific actress, but she was blonde and beautiful and I really liked her last name. Kierstin Kilbourne sang to me instantly and I knew right then that I need look no further for the right name.

As far as her character's role in the overall story, Kierstin will eventually emerge as a very pivotal character in the grand scheme of things. Not only will she play a crucial role in protecting many of the other characters from an as yet unintroduced antagonist, but she will find that she holds a key to unlocking great potential (sorry, but I can't go into further detail about that at this time); a key that the aforementioned protagonist will stop at nothing to possess, should they ever realize such a thing exists and she has it.

As for my comic book background, this character was fashioned after a character from DC Comics' Legion of Super-Heroes named Saturn Girl (yeah, I know, lame name, but the character was originally conceived in 1958, so...) Saturn Girl was one of the most powerful members of the Legion, having extensive mental abilities, was a founding character as well as a leader. I took from her the very best characteristics and gave them to Kierstin; her intelligence, leadership, and mental strength.

With only one character to focus on this time, there really wasn't too much to delve into, but that's pretty much it in a nutshell, for now anyway.

Character Intro #2: Kierstin Kilbourne

Kierstin Kilbourne is a first year resident and working in the emergency room. She's quickly proven herself to be an extraordinarily capable and intuitive physician. Kierstin has always been driven and serious. She's had to. She grew up in a pretty fractured home.

Kierstin's father was an angry, drunk that bullied her and her mother. Kierstin's mother had always been an insecure woman. She initially thought she'd met her Prince Charming when she fell in love with Kierstin's father; he was handsome and kind and full of promise. They immediately got engaged and everything was perfect, that is until the unexpected pregnancy threw a monkey wrench into things. Kierstin's father wanted to do the right thing, so he married Kierstin's mother and gave up school for work. Money was tight and the stress of marrying young, becoming a parent young and facing an uphill financial battle took its toll. He began drinking. The abuse began gradually. It started out simply with him being perpetually grouchy and emotionally distant. But, eventually things escalated. He began bullying and psychologically demeaning Kierstin's mother. Feeling that her own life had pretty much become derailed, Kierstin's mother poured her heart and soul into her daughter. As time went on Kierstin became a beautiful, intelligent and mature young woman. She was at the top of her class and her mother couldn't have been more proud.

However, at the end of Kierstin's senior year of high school everything would change. She'd fielded full scholarships to several colleges, but was leaning toward one more local, so that she could keep an eye on her mother. Things with her father had continued to get worse and she feared leaving her mother alone with him.

Kierstin's senior prom was coming up and she was excited to go. She'd never dated, but really wanted to go to the prom. She'd worked hard and saved her own money for a dress. Everything was set, she just had to find a way to get past her father. He wouldn't let her date simply because he was afraid she'd end up pregnant and ruin her life, but she just couldn't miss her senior prom. So, she did something that she would live to regret the rest of her life, she defied her father's wishes, snuck out of the house and went to the prom.

However, guilt got the better of her, so Kierstin didn't stay out too late; skipping the post-prom activities altogether. She quietly returned home. Looking in from outside, she could see that her father had apparently passed out in front of the TV again. She crept around to the back of the house and stealthily entered through the back door. She silently entered the foyer and was nearly home free when disaster struck; in her haste, she'd stepped on one of the creaky stairs. Kierstin's father called out from the living room and Kierstin froze. Her father stumbled into the foyer and was surprised to see his daughter on the stairs, clearly dressed for a party and looking like a deer caught in headlights. He'd thought it was Kierstin's mother coming downstairs to turn the lights and TV off on him like she was always doing. Seeing her in the prom dress, knowing that she had intentionally defied him and having spent the better part of the night drinking, Kierstin's father instantly flew into a rage. He'd never taken his anger out on his daughter before, but this time he just snapped. He began yelling at her and calling her a whore. She swore she'd only gone to the dance and that nothing else had happened, but he wasn't hearing any of it. Hearing the commotion, Kierstin's mother woke up and rushed into the hallway at the top of the stairs. Kierstin had turned to run up the stairs to her room, but her father grabbed her from behind and dragged her the few steps down to the foyer. He continued his verbal tirade, but Kierstin never once backed down. She stood her ground and for her perceived arrogance, her father raised his hand and slapped her hard across the face. Kierstin struggled free from her father and ran out the front door, tears streaming down her face. He followed behind her, but she'd gotten a decent lead on him. The only thing on Kierstin's mind was getting away. She'd come back with the police and she'd finally get her mother away from her father.

The guy driving the truck had been so distracted talking on his cellphone, that he hadn't seen Kierstin bolt into the street. Kierstin's tears made it difficult for her to see clearly, not that it would have mattered too much considering she was running on impulse alone. The driver swerved at the last possible moment, but couldn't avoid hitting Kierstin. Kierstin's father ran down to his daughter. The driver ran over to see if he could help, but Kierstin's enraged father scared him off. He scooped his daughter up in his arms and carried her lifeless body back into the house, laying her down on the sofa. He knelt beside her, caressing her forehead, apologizing over and over for everything he'd done.

Kierstin's mother entered the room. Her bloodcurdling scream could be heard down the block. Years of abuse from the man she'd once loved, years of sacrifice and devotion to the daughter she'd wanted to have a better life than the one she'd had, all of it for nothing. She pointed the gun at her husband and didn't think twice before pulling the trigger, killing him. Then, having nothing left to live for, she turned the gun on herself. The police and paramedics arrived shortly afterwards, notified by the horrified driver and concerned neighbors. Kierstin was lying on the couch. She was unconscious, but she still had a pulse. In his drunken stupor, her father hadn't properly ascertained the situation.

Kierstin ultimately graduated from high school and accepted a full scholarship to a prestigious medical school, far away from where she grew up. She was determined to start a new life for herself. She attacked college and medical school with the same tenacity that she'd always shown and once again graduated at the top of her class.

She wasn't on duty that day, the day all hell broke loose downtown. But, from the sounds of the news broadcasts, it appeared that there would be a lot of casualties. There was no sense going to the hospital when the Statehouse was a few blocks away, so Kierstin grabbed what supplies she had and raced downtown to help out as best she could.

Character Intro #1: Behind the Scenes

Okay, so I've finally written my first real installment for my Character Profile and Storyline series. Now, I want to offer up some inside information concerning some of the details that I've chosen to use.

I grew up learning how to read and draw from comic books. I couldn't get enough of them. I was a loyal DC Comics kid and read as many of them as I could get my hands on. I'd imitate the styles of my favorite artists as I continued to evolve my figure drawing skills. I was absolutely certain that one day I'd become a comic book artist. Somewhere along the way, I replaced that dream with one that held less risk and more security, teaching art. However, in my heart, I will always dream of being a comic book artist.

Enough about me for now, let's move on to my behind the scenes glimpse at things that this post is about. First and foremost is the use of the name Daniel Garrett. For comic book fans, this is a direct homage to the secret identity of the original Blue Beetle. Now, don't get me wrong, this particular character isn't an all-time favorite of mine, but the character that inherited the mantle of the Blue Beetle from Daniel Garrett was and remains near and dear to my heart. When I originally conceived these characters, I wanted to create a sort of next generation group of heroes that would always be sort of perpetually set in the near future, not a thousand years into the future like one of my favorite comic books (the Legion of Super-Heroes) but somewhere closer, just over the horizon. But I had no intention of having these characters in any other universe other than the DC Universe of heroes, so I set about finding a way to plug them in. I thought about the character of Ted Kord, the second Blue Beetle and how maybe he could be like a mentor to the children of Daniel Garrett, a character that in continuity had never been married or sired children. That could easily be retroactively placed into continuity, or retconned as comic book fans are accustomed to calling it. Comic book writers do that sort of thing all the time to further their stories.

I had already created a character named Alan Christopher (a reversal of my first and middle names) and another character Constance Garrett that I had originally created after a friend of mine named Connie Harrell. Why not make them siblings? Perfect. And so was born, Alan Christopher Garrett and Constance Garrett (whose name was later changed to Caitlin simply because I thought the name was younger sounding and there was a woman that belonged to the church I attended named Katherine "Kate" Hall who passed away during the time I was conceiving these characters. I always thought she was such a neat lady and so I settled on Caitlin "Cait" Garrett as the name for Alan's kid sister. Daniel "Dan" Garrett was conceived later. I actually had created a character whose codename was Dusty and whose secret identity was Daniel Doohan. I believe he was Australian, because at that point I had decided to start making my characters have an international kind of background. I think Doohan was the name of an Australian tennis player that sort of resembled how I had envisioned the character of Dusty as looking at the time. But that was a long time ago and I could possibly be misremembering details. It's inconsequential really considering that as the characters themselves evolved I decided that the characters Dan and Caitlin had such an interesting kind of symmetry that they'd actually make better sense as twins. The fact that the character's name was Daniel already made me think that it tied him to the Daniel Garrett character that already existed. But why would a parent name their second-born son after his father instead of the first-born? That's when I decided that to provide some conflict between the brothers, the oldest son would have known his father and the twins would have not been born until AFTER their father's death. This would explain why Daniel was named for his father instead of Alan and might create a bit of friction between the two, especially considering the character of Alan was always trying to live up to this ideal that he felt his father would have had for him, and Daniel would be sort of the character that just always seemed to fall short. This was the dichotomy that began to really interest me and suddenly I began to relate to BOTH of these characters in a very personal way. Alan became the kind of man I always wished I could be and Dan became the character that just seemed to be much more like the kind of man I actually saw myself as being. The friction that they felt I would take from the friction that existed between my own younger brother and myself which, just as in this story, is a five year gap of time. However, as also evidenced by the evolution of my brother's and my relationship, I intended to show over time that these two characters truly loved each other and despite their squabbling and petty bickering, they always had each other's back. And Caitlin, she would simply become the kid sister I always thought would've been cool to have had.

The next couple characters introduced in this first installment were also based upon friends of mine. Chad Andrew Walker Winston went through a couple permutations before I settled on his current state. Chad has always been a name I have liked. As a kid, one of the few male cousins my age that I occasionally got to hang out with is named Chad Ruhl. I always thought he looked cool. He had really light blond hair and always seemed to be smiling. Another Chad that I encountered all too briefly was Chad Walker. He was the nephew of long-time friends of my parents and he and I hung out at a 4th of July party one summer eons ago. He was younger than me, but the closest person to being my age and was a really cool kid. He had this spark about him and you just knew he was gonna go places. Two weeks later, we found out that Chad had been diagnosed with Leukemia. I was stunned because he had been the epitome of health when we were playing volleyball and running around and stuff. Chad put up a pretty strong fight, but just as he was getting better, he suddenly took a turn for the worse. The Make A Wish Foundation granted him his wish to meet Chuck Norris and I can't help but wonder if that might have been where Walker, Texas Ranger got its name. The last time I saw him, he'd become very bloated from the steroid treatments and he was a shell of his former self. I couldn't detect the slightest hint of the spark that I had seen in him that one 4th of July. So I knew that I would name one of my characters after him and thus provide him with literary immortality, such that it was. Both of the first two Chad's had blond hair, so I originally envisioned this character as having blond hair and blue eyes. Then, the third Chad came along. Chad Kuyper is one of my closest and dearest friends. His friendship has had such a profound impact on my life that I couldn't not incorporate him into one of my characters. And in incorporating CK, I altered the look of the character to more closely resemble him because to be honest, Chad Winston just worked better visually with dark hair, although the blue eyes stayed. The Andrew comes from one of my friends from high school, Andrew Shrack, who helped me conceive of a major detail about this character that I'll delve into in a later installment. I kept the Walker name in there for a couple different reasons. First, I thought having the second middle name sort of gave the character a more upper crust sound to him and thus decided that Walker would be his mother's maiden name. Plus, Jeff Walker was a good friend of mine (no relation to Chad Walker) and this way he could be represented to a degree too. The name Winston just sounds more like a stately political last name and sounded good with the others. Chad Andrew Walker Winston, it's a mouthful for sure but just gives the character one more thing to rail against.

Kevin Michael Cannon is named for three other friends of mine; Kevin Westin, Mike Reynolds and Jim Cannon. Jim was my closest friend in high school and probably is responsible for helping keep me sane. growing up in a tiny rural town can be stifling to say the least, but he helped me realize that there were other creative individuals out there in the world and that I needed to seek them out. Cannon was just the perfect name for this character as you will see in later installments. This character was also the first non-white character I created. I grew up in an all-white setting so, my exposure to cultures and individuals that were different was limited at best until I got to college. To me, this character was very important. I wanted to create a character who was seen for just that, his character and not for the color of his skin. I wanted to pay tribute to the friends I had made who were black and who didn't act like the stereotypical thugs and ganstas that are so prevalent in today's pop culture. That is just one facet of African American culture, it doesn't define African Americans as a whole. However, I wanted to respect this character and his ethnicity. I definitely didn't want him to be written like a black guy that acted white. This character ushered in the diversity in some of the other characters that would follow. Hopefully when these characters are fully fleshed out and the stories I have for them have been told, those who read about them will remember them more for the type of character they are, rather than define them solely on their ethnic background.

Okay, so there are some of the behind the scenes details into my decision making process with regard to the creation of my characters. I hope that the process I took makes logical sense.

Character Intro #1: Alan Garrett and Opening Plot Threads

Okay, so for those of you that don't know, I'm kinda a comic book dork. Well, I'm sort of an overall dork (at times), but I digress...Anyway, as I stated earlier, these characters and the ensuing storylines that follow were born in my freshman English class in high school. The first character I created was based on myself although as the character continued to evolve, it became apparent that he wasn't so much based upon me as he was my idealized view of myself; the me I aspired to be. Then, as more characters were created, I began to realize that I needed to go back and revisit my firstborn. He'd become less interesting than the other characters because, well, they had flaws and baggage and things they needed to overcome and this guy, he was the leader, the one with all the answers and was bland, bland, bland. Thus, I began to rethink him and as with all of my characters continue to do so.

Alan Christopher Garrett is the eldest of three siblings. His father was a world-renowned archaeologist and a college professor. His mother was an anthropologist and a college professor as well. He was five years old when his father died under mysterious circumstances. His mother was devastated. She found out weeks later that she was pregnant with twins. After Caitlin and Daniel (named after his father) were born, Alan's mother worked part-time in order to continue her and her husband's work. Prior to his father's death, Alan had been a carefree kid, yet under the surface he was an introspective and precocious child with a sharp mind and a keen observant eye. When his father died, however, so did Alan's carefree spirit. He put it upon himself to be the man of the house, even though he'd barely started school. Once in school, Alan immersed himself in his studies and was always at the top of his class. Alan was also very protective of his younger siblings, often causing he and Daniel to clash, leaving Caitlin to play the role of peacemaker.

Although obviously smart and talented, Alan always made it a point to remain humble and quietly lead by example. He took his studies and athletics seriously, but didn't get involved in the trivial matters of school life, nor did he want anything to do with being in the limelight or a part of the popular crowd. He seldom spoke up or got involved in active leadership roles in school. However, he upheld a strong ethical code and when he DID choose to speak up or intervene, he was most often respected.

Although Alan was widely respected by his peers, he tended to be a loner, that was until the fateful day that he crossed paths with Chad Andrew Walker Winston. Chad was the new kid at school. An only child, Chad's father was an up-and-coming politician and his mother was a doctor (specializing in genetic research). Although he was close to his mother, Chad had always hated being an only child. Chad never much cared for his father's political circle and seemed to revel in being a maverick, much to his father's frustration, and embarrassment. Chad was outspoken and seemed to have a knack for rubbing the right people the wrong way, especially the guys in the power clique at school. Alan stepped in and prevented an altercation between Chad and a group of guys after school. Chad was impressed with how Alan handled himself. Where Chad's instinct was to prove himself through aggressive means, Alan seemed to hold a completely different approach. Chad immediately set about becoming friends with Alan and their friendship had a profound impact on both of them. Chad brought out the carefree spirit in Alan that had long since laid dormant. Alan never ceased taking his studies seriously, but did make time to have fun and become more social. And Alan, well, he and his family provided Chad with a sense of kinship and belonging that he'd been lacking. Alan's friendship with Chad was cemented further when Chad's mother was tragically killed in a car accident. At this point, having nothing to really go home to, Chad spent most of his time at the Garrett homestead. Time passed and as Alan prepared for college, Chad decided he needed to embark on a journey to find himself and figure out what his purpose in life was.

In college, Alan crossed paths with another important fixture in his life, Kevin Michael Cannon. Kevin and Alan were roommates and became fast friends. Alan pushed Kevin to excel in the classroom and Kevin managed to push Alan to excel in the gym. Alan's mother became increasingly more involved with her work, putting her in a tough situation considering the twins were just entering high school, so after a year of living on campus, Alan moved back home in order to help keep an eye on his siblings when his mother was away on archaeological excursions. Aside from the occasional clashes with Dan, the living arrangement worked out well. Much like their older brother, the twins had always done well in school and were both trustworthy and mature for their age (Caitlin more so than Dan, however). Alan graduated from college and immediately began grad school, while the twins enrolled as freshmen. Their mother's archaeological research really began to pick up as she felt she was on the verge of a big discovery. Knowing her work would require her to be gone even more than she already had been, Mrs. Garrett made sure that her kids were well taken care of, even going so far as to put the house in their name as well as her own.

At this point in time, Alan and his siblings were surprised by the return of Chad Winston, fresh from his travels abroad. Chad was immediately welcomed back into the fold. He moved into the family's guest room as he set about finding a job and contemplated the next phase of his life. Alan introduced Chad to Kevin and they too hit it off, so much so that once they realized that they both were interested in business, they immediately struck up plans to open up their own club. Alan, was finishing up grad school when Chad and Kevin opened up their own Bar and Grille/Nightclub in a vacant movie theatre near campus. Caitlin was one of the first people the guys hired. The nightclub was an instant success and a central backdrop for the friends.

On the day that would transform everyone's lives, Alan had swung by the bar and grille to grab some lunch and to catch up with Kev. Chad had been moody for days because his father was going to be in town for a huge campaign fund raiser. Chad's father had worked his way up the political food chain and was seeking the Republican party's nomination for President. Caitlin had switched shifts with her best friend, Amara so that she could cover senator Winston's press conference at the statehouse and she was dragging Dan along with her to play cameraman. Chad hadn't come in and Alan was tempted to check on him. TV coverage of the press conference went live. Alan, Kev and Amara watched, catching a glimpse of Caitlin and Dan in the crowd. Suddenly all hell broke loose as what appeared to be some kind of explosion rocked the statehouse. Kev and Alan looked at each other in shock and horror. They immediately sprinted out the back to Kev's motorcycle, leaving Amara to hold down the fort. Weaving in and out of traffic, Alan and Kev raced downtown.


This is my first installment. Now, this is clearly just a loose synopsis of the opening part of my storyline and some background details into some of the characters. I'd like to try to do this with each character and leading up to the same moment and then go forward from there. I'm not bothering with dialogue at this point, but of course that will be added eventually when this is all written out at some point. I welcome any and all thoughts and constructive criticism. It's been ages since I've taken a writing class and I am most certainly rusty.

Hello? I'm Back. Is Anyone Still Out There?

This is just a cursory posting with a promise of more to follow. I know, I've pretty much fallen off the map with regards to this blog. But, I'm back and I'm rededicating myself to spending some time writing on a regular basis. I'm putting myself on notice and putting myself out there in the hope that anyone that may come across these posts will like what they've read and offer me not only the encouragement to continue, but the constructive criticism to improve my writing. I want to eschew more personal, "journalesque" postings for the time being. I just think that it would be best and will leave it at that. Instead, I'm going to use this blog as a means to chip away at some characters and stories that I've kept locked inside my head for far too long. Writing, like Art-making, is a process and this blog will become my writer's sketchbook.

Back when I was a freshman in high school, my English teacher assigned us the task of keeping a daily journal. I did my utmost to do the journal justice, but found myself running out of stories to tell. Growing up in rural Ohio, not much happened that I deemed exciting, or even noteworthy. I was devouring comic books and drawing super-heroes in my spare time because I dreamed of becoming a comic book illustrator for DC Comics. That's when I decided to approach my teacher with the idea of my writing and drawing a comic strip as my daily journal entry. He actually seemed excited about it, probably because it'd be a refreshing change of pace for him when it came time to read all of the journal entries. Somewhere stored in a box some place, I have the old comic strips and every time I come across them I cringe a bit. My drawing and writing were vastly underdeveloped back then, but I realize now that those things weren't as important to my teacher as my creativity and passion were.

Over time, the characters I created would get shelved, something more important would come along and I would devote my time to that. Eventually, I would dust them off, revitalize and update them some more before once again putting them away, replacing them with other pursuits. On and on this cycle would go and each time, ever so slowly, these characters would evolve and grow with me. In the coming entries, I am going to delve into each character that I created from the ground up. I will comb through their origins and hopefully streamline them, making them stronger and more viable. I will discuss storyline ideas and my outlines for where I want to take these characters and who knows, maybe I'll finally put down on paper the storylines and ideas I've kept locked inside my head for all these years.

Thus begins my journey to rediscover some aspirations I've held onto since I was a kid. Do I expect anything to really come of all this? No, not really; not in the form of copyrights or publishings or a weekly TV series that's for sure. But if I can find a way to spark that passion and drive I once had when I was younger and more idealistic, then this whole process will have been worthwhile. Here's hoping that there is still someone out there left to take notice that this blog is active again and that they actually enjoy what I have to offer.

Posting Post-Minnesota

The first blog after my annual trip to Minnesota is always the most difficult for me because, well, what the heck am I gonna do to top that!? I just never manage to think of anything as fun or as intellectually stimulating as my time hanging out in Mankato. But, alas, 2 weeks have passed and my rejuvenated blog is looking to have already become forgotten and neglected, so...I'm just gonna get this post out of the way and pray something blogworthy comes my way soon. Clarification: hopefully something POSITIVE and blogworthy comes my way soon. Not really prepared to handle catastrophes at the present time (who ever is, but still).

Anyway, this past week saw the end of my first semester of high school instruction. The students genuinely like me and I've even managed to build name recognition with students I don't even have in class, so I'm taking that as a good thing. The student work I have managed to hang up in the hallways has been very well received by staff and students alike and as yet, none of it has been defaced (knock wood). In fact, the principal put a Thank You card in my mailbox the week before last thanking me for what I've contributed thus far. The yearbook is still creeping along, but I feel in my gut that once we have a ton of photos taken the pages will just sorta fall into place, so I'm trying not to stress out too badly there. The handful of students I have selected seem dedicated and motivated so I hope I can sustain that level of interest and enthusiasm within them. I'm confident that I can. I just am a natural worry wart.

So there it is, my lackluster post-Minnesota post. I quick shout out to my friends in Minnesota. Thanks again for making my visit so wonderful. I miss you all. Except you Blue, you bathing suit munching, pathological liar. Just kidding, Buddy, you crack my shit up. What's that? No, that does NOT mean you now have permission to put your nose in my crotch next time I visit---sheesh!!!

A Happy New Year

Well, my annual trip to Minnesota has come and gone and each year just seems to top the next...(Although, admittedly, it was pretty easy to top the year I DROVE there and then tangled with a horrendous ice storm on the drive back. Ah yes, Northwest Airlines is my friend.)

Speaking of friends, first and foremost, I gotta say I always enjoy visiting and hanging out with Chad, but this time, he really outdid himself. He suffered through personal embarrassment (Crayola crayons will never be looked upon the same forever more, which is tough considering I have to use the suckers on a fairly regular basis at work), personal sacrifice (I knew I snored but Obstructive Sleep Apnea?---Holy Crap! Sorry about the loss of sleep there bro.) and personal disappointments (Car difficulties and a missed Improv performance due to extreme snow and the aforementioned car difficulties to name just a couple.) Yet through it all, he was never lacking in the host department. A truer friend twas ne'er had by anyone.

And to the other major players:

Jean. It was excellent getting to see you and Shannon again at the MMC of all places, but getting to also hangout in Mankato was fun too. I had no idea how competitive you were with regard to boardgames and am impressed at just how much we managed to be on the same wavelength ("There. That's all you get." A small circle.--"Marble?"), or how devilishly filthy (Limerick Night at McGoff's) which by the way, thanks for the baptism by fire. I fully expected maybe one limerick about me but DAMN! Brutal much? It's all good. You must think highly of me to rake my nether regions over the coals like that.

Liz. What can I say? You are awesome. I truly enjoyed meeting and getting to know you. I love your quizzical nature. It's infectous. I rather like it. Much better than that stuff I had to take penicillin for. Just kidding...(Seriously, Jean, I'm just kidding around. Stop writing a limerick about me having an STD! It was a joke!) I marvelled at your creativity and resourcefulness as well as your handywoman skills. You also were one of my prize art students during my visit. (Chad of course being the other one---I'm not the kind of teacher to play favorites.)

Greg. You got me to eat sweet potatos AND keep them down. My own mother couldn't do that, not even when I was an infant. Seriously, I appreciated the great food you prepared and shared. Chad informed me you were a great cook and it definitely wasn't hyperbole. Keep me updated on the Ramoans.

Blue and Fishsticks. Thanks for providing excitement and entertainment. Oh why the hell am I typing THAT...Like you two read blogs. Fishsticks has naptime to catch up on and Blue, seriously man---like you have the attention span to finish a sentence. Blue. Stop telling stories. No one believes that you're a Rhodes Scholar. No, you do NOT write Liz's papers for her. Now, Blue, I was there---you did NOT suggest to Jean that she use the word "Vageener"...I did. (Just kidding Liz, that was ALL you.)

Xtina. You hate me now don't you? (Had a great time meeting you and drinking out of your glass.) Next time maybe you and Ben can stick around a while so I can get to know you both better, instead of running off to New York.

Not to slight anyone else I met and hung out with this trip, but it's really late now and I need to get some sleep. Minnesota rocked once again this year and I couldn't think of a better group of people to have begun 2007 with. Thanks for making me feel so welcome and for never allowing there to be a dull moment. And Chad, as always, you're one hell of a great friend.

Coming Full Circle

"Life isn't a destination--it's a journey. We all come upon unexpected curves and turning points, mountaintops and valleys. Everything that happens to us shapes who we are becoming. And in the adventure of each day, we discover the best in ourselves."

I stole this from the back of a Hallmark greeting card and used it as the basis for a bulletin board at school. I had the students in my 7th period class each design a section of the inspirational statement and then put all of the sections together on the bulletin board.

It's funny how life works. I started out teaching in the South end of Columbus, moved to the East side of town, then changed from Elementary to Middle School and now am teaching High School back in the South end of town. I'm familiar with the area and knew the quickest way to get from my house to my new building. I know that I was hesitant about this school year primarily because I didn't want to leave where I was at and the staff & students I had put so much time and energy into building relationships with. However, I was also apprehensive about the way things went down(how I wasn't really chosen by the staff to be there) and just the whole uncertainty of my situation.

Fast forward. It's now the end of my second week of teaching High School and I've managed to build relationships with the new staff. I've charmed the secretary and the custodians. My students for the most part seem to really be responding to me. I've managed to smooth over some rough spots with some of my more abrasive students; although I'm not naive enough to believe that there isn't more turbulence lurking around the corner at some point. But, I'm okay with it, I just keep pouring on the kindness. In fact, just today, as I was leaving the building, the principal put her hand on my shoulder and told me to have a good weekend and be careful going home. Now this is a typically courteous thing to do, but for this women whom I had pretty much vilified all summer long as being insensitive and gruff (okay, yeah I know I was much more harsh than that) this seemingly small gesture really meant a lot to me. She could have just simply said what she did and left it at that, but by prefacing it with that hand on my should emphasized to me that she was truly sincere. So, as things stand now, it would appear that I have my confidence back and I'm prepared to deal with whatever comes. (Oh please, Fate, do NOT think for one second that I am tempting you with my arrogance.) Maybe South High was where I was meant to be at this point in my life after all.

Oh sure, I'm probably the biggest skeptic around. I don't buy into Astrology, or Horoscopes, or Psychic Readings...but I do try to find meaning and order to the happenstance of life. Certainly, there is a great deal of subjectivity involved and I'm fully aware that I might just simply be "making" things fit and drawing connections between things that are merely coincidence or possibly only related in my imagination, BUT, I just cannot shake this feeling I have that I'm actually on course and that my train did NOT jump the track last spring when I got staff reduced and had to leave Mifflin International Middle School. I'd hazard to say that it's feeling more and more serendipitous each day, which frightens me, because my self defensive side is being thrown into alarm mode because this train of thought is bound to lead me to letting my guard down and getting attached to this situation, just like I did last year with Mifflin.

Oh well, so be it. I do my best work when I'm emotionally invested anyway. I'm better prepared to handle the potential disappointment should upheaval hit again this coming spring. It feels good to finally be back in a positive frame of mind regarding my professional life. Now if I could just manage to get my personal life in order---LOL. One thing at a time I guess.

I'll close with another inspirational/motivational statement sponsored by Hallmark:

"Dreams take Time, Patience, and a Willingness to Fail if they are ever to be anything more than Dreams."