Keep Going

So I was acquiring some bits for my blog: a garden gnome that I wrote was cursed and am waiting to see if it goes missing, my first ride on a snow-go (snow machine), and some daily life tidbits when something happened.

Without going into all the details at this point, let me tell you that Alaska has a Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct for teachers. This section was violated: A teacher may not intentionally make a false or malicious statement about a colleague’s professional performance or conduct.

All I can say is that I am exploring my legal options at this point.

I bet you are wondering where did this come from? You didn't know I was having any problems with anyone here, did you?

Neither did I.

I am used to being underestimated. I am not aggressive and I don't get into people's faces. I normally don't like to be confronted so I normally don't. But that doesn't mean I allow people to walk on me. I think I have a quiet strength.

I found a great deal of inspiration from these words from the book: Keep Going: The Art of Perseverance by Joseph M. Marshall III

A young man asked his grandfather why life had to be so difficult sometimes. This was the old man's reply.

Grandfather says this: In life there is sadness as well as joy, losing as well as winning, falling as well as standing, hunger as well as plenty, badness as well as goodness. I do not say this to make you despair, but to teach you reality. Life is a journey sometimes walked in light, sometimes in shadow.

Grandfather says this: You did not ask to be born, but you are here. You have weaknesses as well as strengths. You have both because in life there is two of everything. Within you is the will to win, as well as the willingness to lose. Within you is the heart to feel compassion as well as the smallness to be arrogant. Within you is the way to face life as well as the fear to turn away from it.

Grandfather says this: Life can give you strength. Strength can come from facing the storms of life, from knowing loss, feeling sadness and heartache, from falling into the depths of grief. You must stand up in the storm. You must face the wind and the cold and the darkness. When the storm blows hard you must stand firm, for it is not trying to knock you down, it is really trying to teach you to be strong.

Grandfather says this: Being strong means taking one more step toward the top of the hill, no matter how weary you may be. It means letting the tears flow through the grief. It means to keep looking for the answer, though the darkness of despair is all around you. Being strong means to cling to hope for one more heartbeat, one more sunrise. Each step, no matter how difficult, is one more step closer to the top of the hill. To keep hope alive for one more heartbeat at a time leads to the light of the next sunrise, the promise of a new day.

Grandfather says this: The weakest step toward the top of the hill, toward the sunrise, toward hope, is stronger than the fiercest storm.

Grandfather says this: Keep going.

Don't worry...it's not a strong storm I am facing. I am just standing up to it. I have had an outpouring of support from those who know about the situation and I know who my friends are. Who they have always been.

There are people in life who will try to knock you down. For whatever reason, I don't know. And you can watch them walk down the path of life, knocking down those they meet on the way. They are not expecting people to either keep standing or people to stand back up, dust themselves off, and keep going.

Because that's what those with the quiet strength do.....we keep going.