tuition

Money paid to a school is the cheapest tuition you'll ever pay. That's how I feel about this interview I had today: I learned a lot but it cost me the job most likely. It's a proprietary school (for profit), which means, ye gods, a very different breed of cat. The head of department had problematic grammar; he hasn't mastered subject-verb agreement. Does it make me a snob that I noticed that? He was interesting, but he failed to make eye contact. Then, the other guy that sat in on my mock class winked at me when we shook hands in parting. Let's just say it isn't the last bastion of professionalism. (It's a sad state of affairs when I'm the most polished person in a room.) Ye gods, we're talking insanity. The think the entire episode can be summed up in my pearl bracelet (3 strings tied together with a pearl colored ribbon). I shouldn't have worn it; it looked utterly ridiculous in the situation. The same could be said about my degrees and my plentitude of random knowledge.

I wore the same outfit I would have worn to interview at a boarding school. I was expecting the dude to pick up on my reference to Katherine Meyer Graham and The Washington Post. Am I crazy? When in Rome, act/accessorize as a Roman. There were several points where I definitely took the wrong avenue of approach-- even with the lesson I chose to teach. I thought it was brilliant (because it WAS), but I should have created a simple lecture with power point. They were not duly impressed with the genius of my Socratic, discussion-based lesson. Whatevs. Or, maybe that's what the wink was for.

Of course, maybe the other people interviewing for the job with Master's in Divinity or Philosophy will be even more clueless than I. Maybe?

Ghandi's Seven Dangers to Human Virtue

from "Few Pieces of Me" blog

The man in diapers spoke truth. I'm going to have to linger with this like a poem. It's very condensed logic and language. Oh, the beauty of a list. One day I'm going to make a collage of lists. I think it'd be fascinating, and a great way to "scrap book" your year.

I'm preparing a mock class on Ethics for an interview tomorrow. How I stated it makes it sounds as if I'm going to be making fun of ethics. But, I'm going to talk about the ethics of cell phones. If I get through the next couple of days, it's going to be a miracle. I have this interview, have to have my apartment completely cleaned out and the key turned in, I have to deal with two state agencies, I have to get my undergrad transcript, I have to clean the house and the dog before G gets back, and I have a friend flying in tomorrow afternoon and flying out on Saturday that I have to keep entertained. I told him I had an exciting time planned for him-- some cleaning, some paper work, some family time. I bet he's so wishing he hadn't bought a plane ticket. Too late, suckah! But, God is good and will provide the strength I need.

Usable Church History

Give me, O Lord
A steadfast heart
Which no unworthy thought can drag downwards;
An unconquered heart
Which no tribulation can wear out;
An upright heart
Which no unworthy purpose may tempt aside.
Bestow upon me also,
O Lord my God,
Understanding to know Thee,
Diligence to seek Thee,
Wisdom to find Thee, and
A faithfulness that may finally embrace Thee;
Through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
(Thomas Aquinas)

perhaps a return on investment

I have an interview on Thursday for an adjunct teaching job with adults. It's by no means my dream job, but it's a definite step in the right direction. I have an interview and a mock class on Thursday. I definitely have some reservations, but that will be resolved partly by the interview. If I hear something back from the full-time job, then it'll probably be early next week because when they have cut-off dates.

imprint

I had a busy weekend, but what was odd is that two very different people used verses from Philippians. The first person was giving an eulogy for a funeral at a funeral. He said his friend's life Philippians 2:3-5: "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus (NIV)." He went on to say my friend's dad was truly a gentleman, a gentle man. Being at a funeral in general, but hearing these words made me stop and take stock. It was along the same lines of hearing the sermon on success. The guy argued that Christians shouldn't think in terms of success but rather faithfulness.

Then, the new youth minister of our church prayed a verse from Philippians (Message) to inaugurate her stint: "So this is my prayer: that your love will flourish and that you will not only love much but well. Learn to love appropriately. You need to use your head and test your feelings so that your love is sincere and intelligent, not sentimental gush. Live a lover's life, circumspect and exemplary, a life Jesus will be proud of: bountiful in fruits from the soul, making Jesus Christ attractive to all, getting everyone involved in the glory and praise of God." If she can teach one teenager that, bully for her.

These verses culminated in our Alpha discussion on sin. We were discussing how we react to the word "sin". This older lady who grew up in Montreal in the Catholic Church said she always grew up categorizing sin into mortal and venial sins, but now they don't separate the types. Now, they define sin as "no love". My first reaction was "How very French". Then, I started thinking about what Jesus said the two greatest commandments are to love God and love your neighbor as yourself, and I'm thinking that this is an accurate definition of sin. It holds up to my experience. And, the two Philippians verses are about living a holy life (without sin) and they are about love-- a sincere and intelligent love not sentimental gush. It's the way Jesus loves us. Can you imagine having those verses read at your funeral?

Now, I get to go live these ideas out in the messy, rainy real world with a friend that has disappointed me deeply. Ah, we shall see. The collect for yesterday started out, "God most powerful, who uses his power to bring about mercy and grace..."

Ecclesiastes?

I am digging on the OT's wisdom literature right now, especially Ecclesiastes. Granted I'm in a Bible Study on it, but it is amazing stuff! I really think it would be a great starting point for a lot of skeptics. It's eerily modern, and it's got a lot of truth in it. But, Qoheleth says life is pointless outside of God. I think Christian apologists should take note at how seriously he takes the competing views. Q. doesn't get defensive; he just extends them completely through their logical trajectory. Pleasure, hard work, beauty. All meaningless outside of God. So, instead of starting with Jesus loves you; maybe we should start where people are. Because, seriously, who the f cares that Jesus loves you unless you understand what's on the line?

I think I'm onto something here. (I'm always the biggest fan of my ideas; nothing's changed. Nothing is new under the sun!) I think it'd be helpful to believers and unbelievers alike if the church tackled wisdom literature. I think it'd keep church goers a little saltier and give skeptics something they could track with. There are so many laments in the Psalms, but how many are there in modern church services? And, we've got plenty to lament on personal and collective levels.

So, I'm going to dig into Wisdom literature and rave about it to everyone that will listen! Right now, I'm reading through David's life, which goes along well with Ecclesiastes. Life is crazy, and it's easy to lose your bearings.

And, I think I'm going to teach a little seminar on praying the Psalms in December. I'm thinking about how to do it. If you have any pointers, let me know. What is most gripping about the Psalms for you? It's always so bizarre that Jesus prayed them; had them memorized. It's so weird that it's even in there and how rough and tumble the order is. I think I may use Brueggemann's Orientation, Disorientation and Reorientation to order the day. Gratitude, open eyes, open hands, obedient hearts.

new frame: application

This week's hunt has felt radically different than the previous weeks. I feel less like a corporate misfit in the wrong century and more like a person with a definite skill set that has a lot to offer the right organization. I had that phone interview earlier this week that would have sent me into this introspective tailspin in previous weeks, but this week, I could say it was a terrible fit. I'm not who they're looking for and vice versa.

My skills and education are valuable, but I have to be willing to take the time to find the correct place. I also have to be willing to do the research and the work to translate/interpret my work experience into terms valuable to an employer. Both my siblings are in marketing, so I think I have potential to make it happen. The practical working out of this realization has been time.

I'm applying this new found self-knowledge to work in what I'm looking for. If the job seems a reasonable, I then read up on the qualifications and the job description, taking notes of word-choice and what they're really looking for. I then write a cover letter mirroring their language and rewrite my resume in the same manner. It's not that I'm changing any of the experience; I'm interpreting it so that they can perceive the relevance. For instance, teaching demonstrates a lot of skills: leadership, communication skills, organization, creativity, problem-solving, meeting goals, etc. I now decide which aspect to highlight according to what they need.

The past two jobs I've applied to have taken around four hours to apply with the new process. Hopefully, I'll get faster. But, I rationalize it by: a) I'm unemployed and have the time, b) my odds of hearing back from these people are vastly increased, c) I'm laying the groundwork for future applications. I'm going to have a lot of cover letters and resumes with the information I'll need to quickly translate. I'm creating a bank of skills and experience for hopefully fairly similar jobs.

I'm far less frustrated with this line of attack... at this point. Every application doesn't feel like a Hail Mary. I no longer feel like I'm begging for a favor. Rather, I am finding the right place to use my skills and be myself.