Happy anniversary!

Greetings. Well, here we are. I’ve made it to the 2 year point. I’m referring to the fact that as of today, I’ve been at my current job as a tech teacher
at a state agency for 2 years. Yippy! In some ways, the time has gone by slow, and in other ways its gone by fast. It seems weird to think that I’ve been
here for 2 years; 2 whole years. That’s a long time. Yet, in another few years, Lord willing, 5 years or 10 years will seem like a long time as well. 

I’ve been thinking of this day for the past few months, wondering what I would be thinking or feeling throughout the day. Much of it has been like any other
day, but there have been moments of reflection. Such as walking down the hall this morning and opening the technology office door with my key, and reflecting.
Later in my team/group meeting with other students and staff, hearing several DBS staff that have been students for the past month, reflect on their time
here at the Center, since it was their last day today. They are finishing up the immersion training. If you don’t know what that is, then go back and read
the immersion journal that I wrote back in February-March of 2006 in the archives. Hearing one of them in particular this morning put it all together and
getting the point of the immersion training, and then relating it to her own job and life as a counselor for transition (teens and young adults) students
was especially neat. To hear her talk about the connection between teens and kids getting good support and instruction and how that carries over to the
person that comes as an adult to the training center was cool. And still later in the day, hearing one of my coworkers talk to a former student about how
I’ve grown and improved in skills compared to when I started. 

As a side note, immersion gives people the opportunity to experience life as a blind person, and more so as a blind student in training. The main goal is
to experience what students go through so that the person can better understand their student/consumer. If the staff person has an open mind and is willing
to experience new things, there’s no limit to what they can gain from the 4-6 weeks of immersion. Its not unusual for people to enter immersion training reluctantly,
and not wanting to leave by the time they finish. 

I don’t really like those questions that go something like, “Where do you see yourself in the next 5, 10, 15 years,” since I’m not quite sure how to answer.
I don’t see myself going anywhere any time soon and am content where I am. If I’m here 5 years from now, then great; if I’m here 15 years from now, even
better. I enjoy what I do. I enjoy showing people how they can independently do things on the computer, retrieve information from the Web, communicate
by email, and write in Word. I enjoy helping people adjust to their blindness. And, I’m enjoying getting to know my coworkers and bonding with them and
students. I don’t have all the answers, but then again, I never claimed to. Its going to be exciting and neat to see what happens this year and what I’ll
have to reflect on a year from now. For the moment, I’m simply celebrating my 2 year anniversary! Yay for me!