The night before my 29th Birthday- Time to reflect a bit

So I'll be 29 in approximately 5 hours and 35 minutes.

No more American Idol eligibility

Not cool to die at this age (missed that by 2 years, all the greats died at 27)

I've got a wife, two kids, a mortgage, and 2 teaching jobs. I have 2 cars, a mini-van and beat up Hyundai.

I need to get into grad school in order to better my (our) situation.

I'm trying to get into an administration program. Principals and higher ups make much more money than teachers do.

My dilemma used to be that I didn't want to leave teaching to get an administration job because it's just not as "fun."

Now though, I'm starting to really want to get into this. I became a teacher because I'm an idealist and I wanted to change lives. I figured the pay-check would compensate...and it's nice don't get me wrong, but Hell's bells I could use some more cash flow and one less job.

As a teacher I touch/influence the lives of roughly 165 kids at the High School and roughly 12 at the private school.

I feel good about the changes I see in these young people's lives, and yet I have the desire to influence even more. I'm sure that as an administrator I'll be influencing in a different way, but I think that I can bring a fire to that position that will light kids up.

I love working at the treatment center school that I'm in. I think it would be great if I could be the head of something very similar. A trade school? An extreme sports program that integrates school? I don't know. I just want to help kids not suck at life. As I look around currently I see students making bad decisions that are only going to lead to heartbreak and failure. This is our nation's future...currently it looks kinda dim.

So I'm 29 tomorrow...My goal is to be financially more successful and making a bigger difference in more lives by the time I'm 33. That be my 4 year plan...

I wish I had something funnier to say on my 69th post.
Life done punches you in the face once in a while. I like to pretend that I'm Rocky Balboa in Rocky IV. The Russians in life might take steroids and kill the Carl Weathers in your life, but you gotta keep on keepin on. - JR