May 24, 2011
I’ve not written anything here since March 6. I’m grateful that some of you have gotten in touch, asking how I/We are doing.
It’s been tough. After making contact with a few really nice folks and learning a little about some possibilities for me professionally here, I became discouraged. I talked with a class at the local college as a result of seeking to learn if there was any interest in meditation. Nothing has come of that so far. My other two primary meetings with folks were something of a wake-up. The basic message was that, like many people here, I would have to put together two, three or more avenues for employment. This is not a prosperous area and there are few good full time jobs that become available.
At this point, I became discouraged, realizing it would take longer than I had hoped for work to come together – including getting some contract work from my former employer. I decided to dial back my efforts and take some downtime, since I’d been running pretty much flat out since well before we left NC.
I’ve done some neat things – bought a stunt kite, hooked up some media so we can watch web-based video and transfer LP/cassettes to MP3 format. I’ve gotten into a regular exercise routine of ½ hour of jogging or rowing or swimming 4-6 times per week. I’ve experimented with some cooking, baking some killer muffins.
Some not so neat things – when veering towards depression, I isolate myself and do lots of escapist reading.
I’ve gotten some great support from friends back east, talking with them on the phone, and I always feel lots better afterwards. You may have noticed that most of the neat and not neat things are done alone. That’s the other condition that has been tough about being here. Though we have met some lovely people, some of whom could be friends, it has been very difficult to get together with them. They, imagine this, have lives and social circles of their own. I have none of the “natural” methods of regularly meeting folks here – work or church or school. Ann meets lots of folks in her role as a pastor, but understandably has to manage her social interactions in order to properly maintain this role. We’re relaxing that some as we go along, but there were several weeks down in the trough for me.
I pretty much did not find my life very interesting, so did not want to write about it here. Things are looking up recently though. I’ve interviewed for a job as an employment specialist at the Pine Ridge Lakota Sioux reservation. The reservation is always one of the two poorest counties in the USA. The role would be to assist people in activities towards becoming self-sufficient, while monitoring their situation to make sure benefit requirements are met. By all accounts this would be a tough, and sometimes very rewarding job. I’ll know more in a couple of weeks.
We’ve also had some fun with some folks recently and had a few trips up to Rapid City, SD that have been fun.
Yes, I am very sensitive, so can hear you saying “Enough about you John, what about Ann, what about Chadron and Nebraska!?!?”
Ann has said a few times to me that she is in the right place, and on the occasions I have gone to her church, I see every indication that her congregation feels the same way. She has always worked hard and done a good job, and this is no different. Ann has been called here by the Bishop and the congregation, and I have to say God (though that’s a part you can appreciate I may not be too sure of).
As I’ve said previously, Chadron is a small town in the middle of the prairie. We’re surrounded by mostly low rolling hills, and now that Spring has irrevocably arrived, there’s lots of green and in town many other blooming colors. The prairie has a compelling beauty I’m just beginning to appreciate, and riding a bicycle through it is a neat way to see it. For you Easterners, the horizon is much lower and the sky much bigger. In Wyoming there are really, really big coal fields and the coal is transported by train through our area. In one of my more tourista moments, I made a video with my Ipod Touch of one, then it turns out two, of those coal trains. At Ann’s insistence I’ve posted it on YouTube here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJl5Z-VLb80
Part of the motivation for making an entry now is that I want for some of you to see this before I see you. I’m leaving tomorrow for NC to go to the beach with the “Tribe” and see other friends and to participate once again in the Beaver Queen Pageant. I’m very excited, as you can imagine. Ann says she is envious. Please take from this that we miss you all very much. It’s hard to put a shape around this. We are committed to making this calling work, so as much as it feels like it, I am not going home tomorrow, I’m leaving it. We know it takes time to get into a new community, and this is not a new experience for us. It still hurts. So I am going to pay attention to the anticipation of seeing some of you, and let the other stuff go.
