Bridging the Gap

In the past week I've visited all the places I've lived in the past two years. Ottawa, Shawinigan, Montréal, Québec, Hamilton. It was a whirlwind and I'm still recovering from all the feelings I'm having. Nostalgia, frustration, fatigue, uncertainty. Everything is in a state of change, and despite my best efforts to try to stem the tide of constant interruptions to my life, I am at the mercy of so many forces right now.

John Lennon famously said that life is what happens when you are making other plans. When I was younger I remember finding the quotation to be curious, but seeing that I didn't really have any life experience, it didn't resonate with me as it does now. I've moved more in the past eighteen months than most people do in their lives. And I'm not done. Somehow I thought my adventures of moving around were coming to a close, but I know they will never end. I'm just recalibrating my expectations.

I've been fortunate. I don't mean to disparage the changes that have happened. Most of them have been positive, particularly around my career. I'm lucky to be a teacher who has work. I know many who don't and I don't want to convey the spirit that I am not privileged. I know I am. But I'm also tired. The aforementioned whirlwind has sucked a lot away from me. As I consider my next move, I know I have a lot to contend with, not the least of which being thinking about my friends and family.

I have an offer before me from my current board, and again I know how lucky I am, and others to come. In most scenarios I'll be moving; it's simply of matter of where and how far. Not long ago I wrote about coming back to Southwestern Ontario, to having a reliable position, and to settling down with a partner, friends, and family. Things change, and while it may be difficult, it is also the impetus for so many positives.