When the Right Door Opens You Just Go Through

You know how there are times when good stuff just happens to you, and you have no other choice but to say "yes" because it was so cosmically random that it's meant to be. Well, that happened to me this week. It was a whirlwind of events.

On Wednesday I get a missed call at around 10:30 am (my phone was upstairs while I was downstairs) from an assistant principal in a school in Arizona. On the message she said that she randomly looked up my resume on a website. OK. and so I of course immediately called her back (it was around noon when I checked my phone). Of course she didn't answer, being a busy lady and such. So I left a message, and went to lunch. She called me as I was leaving Panda Express (mmmm Sweet Fire Chicken) she wanted to ask me a few questions like "tell me about yourself." and "what was your student teaching experience like?" well being in the restaurant with a lot of hungry lunchers and just a lot of background noise (you ever notice how excessively noisy restaurants are, just this low hum, not like people yelling or explosions that blast your eardrums) and I needd to use the restroom, so I told her I wasn't in a good place to talk--too much awkwardness talking about that stuff with other people listening in, geez how rude!--so I told her it would be more convenient to speak in about 10-15 minutes.

I rushed home, I didn't even eat my food right away, of course I used the lavatory, then sat in "my" oversize chair waiting for her call. Five minutes passed. Ten minutes passed. Fifteen... all right the silence is killing me (as it always does, and sometimes filling silence isn't always the best). So I made the call--forgetting if I asked her to call, or if I said I would call, sometimes you don't want to push busy people who hold your fate in their hands--of course she wasn't available. So I continued to wait. Well my food wasn't getting any colder. I sat in the disco throwback orangey blob chair eating shrimp and chicken, watching my Monday night Syfy shows--it filled the void until she called (Pete Lattimer makes me laugh).

Finally, she calls--playing phone tag is the funnest game ever. She asks me questions and I answer embellishing a little here and there--you know, I am a dramatic person. Then she said she would send me an email with information about the school (and I thought about the application process). I email her back wanting to fast-track it, but I couldn't figure out how to access the application on the district website--browser issues and confusing links. Eventually I figured out how to do it.

Thursday, (isn't that Thor's day? . . . Must be a good day) I had the application finished and sent off by 10ish. Around 1 pm I get a phone call wanting to continue the interview. Ok. You just do what they want. I was so nervous I couldn't think of all the education terminology I learned (Norm-Reference v. Criterion-Reference, rubrics, scaffolding, sure I remember them now), so I could at least sound like I belong. My brain went soft and spongy, and not the good kind of spongy, when I needed it the most. At the end she said (in so many words) "I need to check your references. But we would like to hire you." I sat on that for about 24 hours. Feeling pretty sure I have the job. Why would my references not check out? They were solid. I only use people who witness me at my awesomest!

Friday morning I decided to get a printer, and some organization/desk stuff. I finally get to go shopping for my classroom. I finally get to fill it with stuff. Nerdy stuff. Books. Folders and binders. Paper trays. Decorate the boards with pushpins, posters, butcher paper and boarders. Oh, the things I can do. Oh, the possibilities. Oh, the junk I have to take to AZ with me. I need to get boxes to put it all in. . .the mall just dumps them outside by the dumpster. Yay! I get to go box diving at the mall!
(See earlier post "The Tortoise Went Faster Than This")

After my shopping extravaganza and box diving I picked up some In-n-Out--it's like manna--ate, watched "Suits" and "Royal Pains" I though I need to start packing. The nice thing about moving to Arizona is I won't have to take my chunky sweaters and fluffy coats. Just a light jacket (it's always good to be prepared). I filled up two ginormous size bags of clothes when my phone rings. It wasn't her office number, but it was from the same area code. I knew I needed to answer it. Strange number or not, it at least had the right area code.

My friend, and reference, texted me Friday morning to ask if I applied for a job in Arizona. Well, I technically didn't. It found me, then I applied, as a formality. I didn't do anything. When San Luis High called me I didn't even recognize the name. I went to the website (the website where the lady that holds my future in her hands found my resume on) to see if I applied. I was actually blocked from applying because I didn't have an Arizona credential. Funny thing is, I have applied to other schools in Arizona just fine.

"You're hired!" and "Get here ASAP!" or "As soon as you can." Well it's a good thing I was already packing because it would have really sucked if she called to say I didn't get it after all the money I spent.

After the final answer I sent out a text to my immediate family and posted it on facebook. It wasn't long before my phone lit up, and people were bombarding my wall post on facebook with "congratulations'" and "way to go's" and "how sad you are leaving's" (well just one of those). In the middle of all this exciting news, my sister gave birth to a 7 lb 5 oz boy named Diesel. Yes, August 5 will go down in history as the luckiest day ever!

Here's the twist: The lady that called me, the woman who holds the power to hire me (like all prospective employers) already had her mind made up. She was going to hire me. There was no one else. She contacted me and interviewed me within 24 hours. The references weren't really an obstacle, like I said before the whole process was a formality.

It's kismet, or just awaited blessings for all my good deeds and hard work--or minimal effort--but mostly good deeds.

I've been listening to the Katy Perry song "Firework" a lot lately, and there was a line that stuck out to me. It basically sums up the past 2 years of my life.

Maybe your reason why all the doors are closed
So you can open one that leads you to the perfect road
Like a lightning bolt, your heart will blow
And when it's time, you'll know