Oy...well...Here is the boring, yet embarrassing tale of a person who is not watching her job carefully....
Two months ago, I was asked to orient two new groups of students....one last night...one tonight. I said yes to both requests and documented that I was busy on my calendar. However, last night's group was cancelled. I knew it, but did not delete it from my calender. Knowing that I had the evening free, I made a date with Muscles to meet and chat. We have been missing each other for a month and we agreed to get together to catch up....
As I sat with her during at a local pub solving the problems of the world, I got one phone call from an unidentified number. Fortunately, I decided to answer it. It was a colleague who said that my 4:45 appointment was in the office waiting for me. Huh? She's 24 hours early. Please tell her to check her email because the meeting is not until Wednesday night. "I can't....I am in my car. You have to call the office...." Sheesh.
OK, after I called the office, I relayed to another colleague to send the oh-so-early interviewee home until tomorrow night....."Gotcha..."
In less than one minute, I got another call...."Uh BP Ma, you are wrong. She has the email from you telling her to come in today."
Crud...double crud...triple crud. I cannot tell this person who traveled to campus in a monsoon to meet me that I was sitting in a pub having a drink with Muscles. Crud!!!
As I got her on the phone, I sheepishly apologized for my faux pas and asked her to Skype me for her interview when she got home. Graciously, she accepted my apology, but I am still mortified by my lack of organization.
As I looked at the calender, I see that I have placed the date for the interview to today. However, I told the applicant another date. This is clearly my error, therefore, I own it. I am wearing the letter "S" for 'shame'.
Around 7:30, she called me through Skype where I again groveled asking for forgiveness and met with her in the comfort of her home. Actually, I love Skype! After the interview, I realized that she is a terrific applicant and I recommended that she gains admission to one of our programs.
And where does this long, stupid story lead? Well, I guess it leads me to the knowledge that I am a flawed human being who needs to be more cognizant of my inability to focus long enough to accurately set my schedule. I vow, from this moment forward, to double check my emails and stop returning student emails from my cell phone. That is what I learned...let's see how long I keep this vow. After all, I broke my Lenten promise a week after I set it.
Ok, what's up with the big leftie? Well, last night he had to go to some dinner that he did not want to attend. He never told me what the dinner was for and I did not ask...until dad told me this morning....it was a dinner for Scholar Athletes. Yeah, that's right. My kid was honored in his senior year of college for a high grade point average. Really....this is not a typo....I always knew that he was bright, he just chose to hide it from me and the rest of the world.
As I look back, I know that he did not work hard at his studies and had more in him. Yet, I was not going to stand over him and beg him to study. he had to figure it out on his own. And he did. In freshman year of high school, the principal was set to kick him out. That's right, we went in and practically begged him for a second chance. The second chance began that summer when he had to re-take FOUR courses, which required a car trip to school each day for over six weeks. he brought the grades up and was promoted to his sophomore year. From that point forward, he was an average student....not great...no honors...no A's...just making it through a tough school.
Baseball got him into the D1 school that he attends now. The first years were rocky, then he had an epiphany...or at least the light went on and he decided t buckle down and study. Remember in his freshman year, we attended a session with his adviser and he chose Astronomy and Calculus? I tried to help him, but he figured that he knew more than his momma who had 20+ years of college advising under her belt. I must have raised a savant. Yet, I did remind him that Astronomy was NOT Astrology and physics and vectors were involved..."I got it...." he said. Uh-huh. Sure.
That year was an academic mess and he had to work three times harder than the other guys because he took idiot courses that he did not need. With that said, in May, he will not technically graduate because he is shy three credits...'cause 'he has this...'
Now. Last night...he is honored as a Scholar Athlete. Dude! Really! You call me when your fast ball is fast...when you run out of laundry detergent...when you don't start a game...when you throw home run balls....when you are choosing a walk out song....You can't call me and tell me that you are being honored for being smart! I have been waiting 22 years for this kind of news....throw me a bone!!! Scholar and athlete have never been used together in a sentence about you. Cool!
With that said, I am proud of my Scholar Athlete (;-)) and feel that life has now come full circle. I know that he is equipped with the tools to make it in whatever field he has chosen. Although something tells me that his journalism major is just a rouse to get through school. Whatever. I am not going to think about it anymore since I have to get my own head in order....starting with an appointment that I have sometime this afternoon with another applicant....Let me check my schedule...
Peace!
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