I hear that Barenaked Ladies song in my head as I’m writing this. The one they sang about how it’s been “one week since…”. Speaking of one week, this week has been exceptionally amazing. SO much I can and will write about (remind me to tell you about how “Lisa Simpson” talked to me on Instagram). The summer program I supervise ended yesterday, my sisters and most of their families came to visit yesterday and today. For the first time in my entire life I went swimming in a two piece bathing suit (writing about that too at some point—I have thoughts on it). And then there was the whole thing where one post on Threads asking for advice about how to start listening to Taylor Swift absolutely blew up into this new project of mine where I’m going to blog my thoughts as I listen to all of her albums for the first time. I’m already three songs in by the way, and can I just say, “Teardrops on My Guitar” is already stuck in my head. I’m eager to listen to more later tonight.
Tomorrow will be a normal Saturday and then Sunday is the Katy Perry concert which I will definitely be writing about. Because, while Katy Perry is not getting all positive attention right now, I really just need to experience some of her songs live. The songs that got me through that year from hell as a school principal.
With everything that has happened this week, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that today is August 15th. On this day in 2024, I worked my first day at my “new” job. For posterity, I took a selfie before I left my house that morning to go to work.
Observe…
I don’t think there’s anything remarkable about this picture. I have always said that the stress and anxiety from my old job was visible in my eyes. I don’t see it as much in this picture. At that point last year, I had already had the most amazing summer of being unemployed. It was exactly what I needed to detox from what I had been through.
And then a whole year went by faster than any year has ever gone by before. I’m not exaggerating. I am beyond amazed at just how quickly we are back to August. My department at work left me a beautiful card on my desk yesterday. They all signed it. It was a congratulations card. Both for successfully surviving the summer program I ran for the first time and also recognizing my one-year anniversary with the team.
Today, my family and my team at work intersected. My sisters came to visit me this morning. I introduced them to the people on my team who were there today. One of them had left the office for a while and apparently, as my sisters were getting in their truck to leave, my coworker came flying into the parking lot, having rushed back from where she was because she really wanted to meet my family. She later joked that my sisters started to thank her for bringing me out of my shell and she interrupted and thought they were going to say thank you for corrupting me. I laughed with her about that. But then I thought about what my sisters said. “Bringing me out of my shell”. Was I really in a shell? Why was I in it? What was I like in there vs how I am now? In my mind, I never really thought of myself as having been in a shell. Do my sisters not know me at all? Where did that comment come from?
But it didn’t take me long to realize, they’re right. I may not have thought of it as a shell, but who I was a year ago is not the same person I am now. If you’ve read my posts over this past year, you know this. I have changed SO much between these two Augusts. And it’s not really that I’ve changed. I honestly think I simply found the courage to be the person I always was. Deep down. Suppressed by the environment I was in for 19 years at my old job. In a way, it kind of was a shell. Again, they’re right. I’m out of it now! And my not-so-new anymore job really is a big part of the reason I was able to break out of it. The dramatic difference in atmosphere where I work now helped me on my healing journey. It has given me the freedom from stress and anxiety that was a daily part of my life to varying degrees for all those years. Not having to worry about my job and what was going on with it, gave me the mental space to heal from my past traumas. And heal I have.
I took a random selfie in my office earlier this week. It’s not on the exact one year anniversary of my first day. In fact, I think I only took it because I have selfies in the two other offices I’ve worked in this past year and so I needed one in my new office.
Observe…
I think just the fact that I’m in my office with my tattoos blazing is enough said about the difference between now and then. Obviously, I have more tattoos now, but also, now I don’t give a second thought to wearing something that shows them off at work.
I feel a lot of rambling coming on about the differences between this August and last August. There are definitely a lot. Please go through some of my other posts if you’d like to read more about my healing journey over this past year. In the meantime, here’s to the past year, and here’s to all the years to come in the future. May they all be as wonderful as this past one was.
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