How Do You Keep a Level Head???

It's been six months since I walked across that stage, shook hands with the Dean of my department, and took the empty cover that housed a letter talking about when I would get my diploma. It has been a wonderful six months of wedding planning, relaxing, working my part time retail job, and of course applying for any elementary teaching job within a 20-30 mile radius of Topeka. I have made jokes about how I can now put "Professional Application Filler" on my resume now, but now the joke seems to be over as I am seeing firework tents starting to go up marking the downhill slide that is summer slipping away, and with that, my chance at seeing "Mrs. Imparato" on a door frame outside a classroom.

I have watched numerous of my K-State colleges post their excitement of receiving their first job offers, pictures of their classroom keys, and pictures of their new classrooms. I am very happy for them, don't get me wrong, they have earned this. Trust me, an elementary education degree isn't all "Finger Painting 101," it is hard work. I am glad to see others able to use their degree, but at the same time I am thinking to myself, "Where is my phone call?" When will I get the phone call that will get me excited for this upcoming school year? When will I get the phone call that will take all this pressure off my shoulders? When will I get the phone call that will make me a teacher?

Yesterday I had to do complete a rather difficult task. I had to go to the apartment complex where Nate and I had applied to live, and put a stop to our application. They were all ready to give us a deal and get us moved into our first home town home together. This is a big deal for newly weds: "Our First Place!" This will not be the case for a while now, because even after some interviews, I still have not received my phone call that will give us the green light. Instead we have just lost $80 in nonrefundable application fees. Miss Sallie Mae has also come knocking on our door, reminding me that my degree cost me $450 a month for the next ten years.

So how am I keeping a cool relatively cool head while all of this is piling up? My family, my friends, and... my husband. He is remaining optimistic for me. He reminds me that I am qualified as anyone else seeking a teaching position in this area, there are just so many teachers looking for employment, which is true. I applied at a district which had two openings and received over 200 applications for those two openings. He also assures me that we will be okay and will figure out our living arrangements when the time is right. He reminds me what I already know but a lot of the time forget: whatever is going to happen, will happen. He truly is my support system. So in the words of Mr. Imparato last night, "Let's not worry about all of this right now, let's figure out what we are doing next week and when we get back we can form a plan of action." He is correct. So we will prepare for our Friday morning departure to Playa Del Carmen, Mexico, and spend a week together without a care in the world, and when we return, we will conquer our future plans... together.

Mrs. Imparato