Thursday, April 25, 2024

Back Back Back again

 Way back on April 1st, I made my way back to Wiley.  When I left Wiley College, now Wiley University, despite all of the good work I knew I had done, I felt a bit like a failure.  I had worked so hard and now I was so tired.  I think a part of me thought that a good leader wouldn't have been so exhausted that they left.  I know now that isn't true but that was how I felt.  I loved Wiley and loved the team I was working with but I was so tired.

On top of being tired, I think I was searching for confirmation that the library was still my place.  I had been doing so much administrative duties that despite being the Director of Library Services, I didn't get to library much.  Part of that was also a lack of actual skill on my part.  I am a great educator, researcher, and librarian but my technical skills were rusty and really needed to be honed.  In the world of library technology I was about 10 years behind and while I knew I could make it work and stay on at Wiley one of the things I learned at Wiley was a love for HBCUs.  So what is the connection?  Well, I kept seeing that HBCUs (but as it turns out most colleges period) suffer from people staying in place too long.  I am a good librarian, better now for having gone to Panola, but in order to provide the best library service, I needed to grow my skill set.  So I found a mentor who was willing to teach me the latest in library technologies in the back-of-house area (technical services).  While I'm sure he would have mentored me without me joining him at Panola, I knew I needed to be somewhere different to try and feel less tired so I left Marshall and headed down to Carthage.

I learned so much at Panola.  My boss was a good mentor.  His leadership style was also very different from my own so I could see a different type of leadership in action.  I was lucky that I had another good boss to work with and another boss that I hated to leave but leave I did and returned to Wiley.

Before I completely gloss over my time at Panola; I really did learn a lot not only about being a librarian but about me as a person and leader.  I learned I don't like having time to myself.  I really like having a project to work on.  I learned I missed being a decision-maker at the big table.  I started my yoga teacher certification, which I had been wanting to do for years.  I learned that I wanted to be back in administration.  I learned that I want to be excellent and that for me being okay was not enough to keep me motivated.

So I'm back at Wiley.  While I think some would look at my time at Panola as a step backward, going from director to just librarian, I know they are wrong.  In order for an arrow to launch; it has to be pulled backward.  Right now, in my career, I have been launched forward.  I'm working hard. I feel behind.  I love it.  



Wednesday, February 21, 2024

Your Love and Your Absence Feel the Same

 I'm not much of a poet but also I have words that need to go somewhere so here they are.


Today I realized that your love and your absence feel the same.

You let me chase you.

You force me to chase you for a crumbs of attention.

You like it.

You get off on being the object of my love.

I chase.

I chase.

I give.

I sacrifice.

You take.

You take.

You refuse.

I chase.

I give more.

You take more.

You ghost me.

I chase harder.

I give more.

Except, you forgot I don't need you.

I have me and mine.

You were extra.

So when I stopped, I didn't notice your absence.

I noticed my freedom.

I could breathe again.  

I guess you haven't noticed I stopped.

Honestly, it hurt to stop because if I stopped I had to see that I was running from myself.

So I'm not mad.

We're good.

Your love and your absence feel the same.

I choose me.  

I choose mine.

The door is open to you but I'm not holding my breath anymore.

Tuesday, February 20, 2024

Hello Darkness my old friend

 There are moments in life that you cement in your memory.  Holding your baby for the 1st time.  Walking across the stage for your doctorate.  Your dad tells you he has cancer.  5 years ago, almost 6 now, my dad started a colon cancer journey that would see him nearly die twice and undergo 3 separate surgeries; each surgery literally taking a piece of him.  

On January 18th, as I was getting ready for work, my dad stopped me and asked me to contact his cancer doctor; he thought his cancer was back.  I stayed visibly calm, said I would take care of it, and then went to my room to cry.  I took a moment or two and then I dried my eyes and contacted the doctor.

We had an appointment for the next week, about a 5-day wait.  We saw the doctor, got a series of appts, and got sent home.  Honestly, I don't think the doctor quite believed my dad about his symptoms.  Then two days later, my dad tells my mom he needs to go to the ER, everything is worse.  They decided to wait until Friday, Jan 26, since I don't work Fridays, so I could go with him and advocate.  That was the last day my dad was in Lufkin.  He has been in Temple ever since and we don't know when he will come home.

He had major abdominal surgery on Feb 15th.  A surgery scheduled for 6 hrs took 18 and landed my dad in the ICU.  That was a hard day, just waiting and waiting.  We were told around 7pm that it would be a few more hours due to an accident during surgery. The accident took 6 hrs to repair and then he had 3 more hours of surgery to complete the fix.  The good news: no cancer!  The bad news: lots of complications.

I got to stay with my dad while he was in the ICU.  I was so worn out by the night before waiting on him to come out of surgery that I actually slept on that tiny guest bed and even slept through the midnight blood draws.  We had to leave Temple for a BJJ tournament on Saturday and I got to see my dad that morning before leaving.  I got to see him get out of bed!  

He has not had an easy time of it this time.  The previous 3 surgeries, he was out of the hospital in 3 days.  This time we are about to be at 7 days and he still can't eat.  They won't release him until he is eating.  He can't eat because his intestine isn't awake yet.  He ran a fever two nights ago and yesterday they placed some tubes into his kidneys.  We are playing the waiting game.  

Yesterday, I was working on something at my desk and decided to check-in on my dad.  I happened to call while a nurse was in the room informing him of the procedure to insert the tubes into his kidneys.  The interesting thing was that as I was listening in, "Pressure Machine" (the song not the album) by The Killers was playing.  This is a pressure machine.  Will I pop or can I hold on long enough to welcome my dad home?

Below is my Facebook status from Sunday, Feb 18:

I'm sitting outside trying to get some sunshine therapy. To say these past 5 days have been hard would be an understatement.
Seeing my dad on a ventilator, watching the agony on his face waiting for the breathing tube to be removed, and then watching the excruciating pain he went through standing for the 1st time post surgery.
I thought I was ready for this past Wednesday. We knew it could be a long day. We knew it could be more difficult than expected but how do you prepare for a surgery that is scheduled for 6 hrs but goes for 18? All we wanted was for a 100% robotic surgery and when they opened him up completely, the devastation was almost overwhelming.
Instead of bringing my dad home today like we had hoped and prayed for, I left Temple yesterday with zero idea of when he is coming home.
There were bright spots. Moments with Ray and the girls but it is hard.
It is hard to balance the little girl who wants to be with her daddy with the woman who has to go to work and run a household while adding in the requirements of managing my dad's health from afar.
I can really feel the pressure when it comes back after a break. Watching Audrey yesterday and focusing down to just being Audrey's mom was a welcomed respite. We walked the Comerica Center laughing and celebrating that I forgot I had left my dad then on the way home I realized I had no idea when I would see my dad again.
While I was sitting in the ICU with my dad there was a young mother in the next room and her 4-year-old kept running and screaming in the hallway. While I question the parenting of allowing such a young child into the ICU, I also understand the needs of that baby. He just wanted his mommy. I hope his mom makes it out of the ICU and back home. I pray for all of the shell-shocked families I saw in the ICU.
For now, my dad is waiting on his body to come back to life. His intestine has been traumatized for the 4th time and the very complicated surgery has made it hard for it to wake up. The doctor said this is normal. Don't worry, yet. This is normal, just give it time. So from 3 hours away, I wait with my phone by my side.




Thursday, January 18, 2024

Blaxicanmma is #3! She's #3!

 So I started last year with a commitment to run to help myself get through Blaxican's first year on the BJJ competitive team.  Let me tell you it was quite the year!

To the title:  she finished her Point Muay Thai season as the number 3 fighter in the girls' division behind 2 California girls.  She's number 3 out of PMT girls in both California and Texas.  It is incredible

In BJJ, she became an AGF tri-state champion by winning at Oklahoma State in March, Texas State in October, and Louisiana State back in Dec of 2022.  She also brought home a few golds from a few other competitions.  Probably her hardest-fought medal was a bronze she won at JJWL in Feb of last year.  

All of this while dealing with pain levels of 3 or higher since the end of March.  She is a fighter in every sense of the word.  At Texas State just before her challenger round, she was outside doubled over in pain.  She was at about a 6.  She went in and rolled a very good orange belt and while she lost, she barely lost.  

She also had her first super fight!  She lost to a very strong and lovely competitor.  We really enjoy it when she gets to roll against someone better than her because that is when we see her growing the most.

We are still trying to learn the ropes of raising a fighter.  The bills are beginning to outstrip our income and so we really need to find some sponsors for her but it is a challenge.  We don't want to make fighting her life at this point.  We want her to enjoy it before it becomes the thing she has to do.

To the pain: we have been in and out of doctors' offices.  We thought we had a cause that required surgery.  Had the surgery and we found out that the cause was less clear than we thought.  She does seem to be in less pain and she already has a full February so she is trying to quickly recover and get back out there.  She won't be cleared for contact for another week but then she'll have to hit the mat because IKF is Feb 10 then JJWL the next weekend.  

As much as I want to run a few races, it seems all of Blaxicanmma's events are on race weekends.  Obviously, I'm not going to pull her out of an event for me to run.  I'm never going to go pro as a runner but she really and truly can go pro in these combat sports she loves.  It is scary to watch her fight.  I hate seeing her take hits but she loves it and she's good at it so I just run and keep trying to raise money to pay the bills.  If you know of a business that would like to sponsor Blaxicanmma send them my way!

Blaxican's year:

Feb - JJWL - 3rd place

Feb - IKF - Lost an exhibition fight

Mar - Oklahoma State - 1st in her division, no place in Challenger

April - JJWL - 1st place

May - Chick-Jitsu superfight - lost

June - AGF Bossier City - 2 golds

July - Hard Spar exhibition

September - AGF Houston - 2nd place

October - IFK 3 fights: 2 wins, 1 loss

October - Texas State - 1 Gold, 1 Silver

November - IKF 2 wins

December - Earned her Grey/Black belt