2019 Changes Roller Coaster

I can't believe that I have not written in over a year. I've thought about many times. I just never got a chance to sit down to type anything meaningful.

I have changes jobs. I went from a preschool teacher/bus driver to a full time bus driver with a school district in North Carolina. It is with Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools, 18th largest school district in the nation. Last year I drove bus 573. This year is 14. 

I love interacting with students. Even with the same routes everyday, not every day is the same. Some students do not ride the bus, some behavior issues, etc. I do not write up a child unless it is necessary.

I am passionate about being a teacher, even on the bus. I try to work with parents and the school before a write up is necessary. I have one child that I have seen progress with being able to sit down now versus at the beginning on the school year. Woo hoo! Many of my elementary students love to color. I have crayons and paper.

I may be the black sheep on the bus lot, just don't mistake that for a lack of passion and commitment to my students.

If I could drive a school bus every day all day, I would. It would be my ride everywhere. 

I've had a few panic attacks. Not many. My anxiety level has been a roller coaster this school year. I have been worried that I have taken a few steps backward in my peaceful zen. 

Stress of finances, house falling apart, and all the trifling idiots at work. Just so much right now. I wish that we (my mom and I) could just sell the 14 acre property and move to an apartment. Not in Charlotte, Charlotte is pushing a lot of low income families out. Maybe Pineville or a surrounding area. There are many bus lots I can transfer to.

It is fate, keeping the faith, and persistence. Maybe even destiny. Working towards a goal. I am proud to keep my students safe by God's hands and stay sane.

More to come!

Taxes and other sorts

I filed my taxes. Woop!

I had bought a van. It needed major brake work. $500. Shit.

This is April and very slow!

Head Start has half of its classes as extended and the other half as standard. My classroom is extended. The standard gets out May 2nd. We get out June 3rd.

Word on the street is that we are moving to a new building next school year. Awesome. We have to pack our classroom up for the move before our school year ends.

Great, extra work.

When animals attack

..................... This animal attacked me last night...................
It is a gray fox. This animal killed one of the stray cats that I feed. I heard what I thought was a cat fight under the house. Nothing unusual as it were around the house. I went outside and got on to the "cats" about it. The hissing stopped. That is around the time mom got home, 7:30 pm. Mom kept hearing noises under the house. I grabbed the flashlight promising I would not go under the house. I stood at each door under the house and looked. When I go to the third door, I saw what looked like a dog at first. I remembered that I had seen this animal before: it was the elusive fox! I had seen this animal or one like it a few times in the fourteen years I have lived at the house.

I heard a noise that made me think the fox had escaped out of the broken bricks in front of the house. I went around to the front corner thinking about moving the bricks back to cover the hole in the mortar. I did not want it back in. Before I could get my bearings, the fox lunged from the bricks attacking me! I started screaming, my heart was racing, and I kept trying to pull it off me. Luckily, this is a small animal with a small mouth. The fox drew blood from my left foot. I have a few scratches.

My mom came outside which scared the fox back under the house. I told mom what happened. The fox came back out, I pointed to mom that the fox was what attacked me. I had told her I saw a fox a time or two before. The fox ran into the wooded area next to the house. We both heard it make noises. As of today, I am not sure if the fox is back under the house.

Mom took me to the emergency room. I was eager to go out of fear that the fox was rabid. I was treated for the bit wound on my foot. The doctor injected my foot with a rabies shot around the wounds. It hurt like hell! I received six more shots in the ass, one in my left arm, and one in my right arm. I received a total of eight shots for rabies and one tetanus shot for good measure. Nine shots total along with about five weeks of treatment. Treatment means I get more shots! The doctor called animal control last night which mom spoke to them. I spoke to animal control this morning. I was told animal control does not capture wild animals. Department of Environmental Control (DHEC) has to be called.

I have respect for nature. Nature can be beautiful as well as brutal. As a human, I cannot begin to find a true logical reason for why the animal attacked me. Sometimes nature's instincts cannot be explained in a logical manner. I have tried to be logical which has been unsuccessful as of yet.

I did not wish to kill the animal as my heart would not allow such a hinderance. All I wanted to do was to get the animal off and away from me. I do have some residual fear of the fox coming after me again. It is fairly certain that my reaction is normal, albeit a bit unusual.

Most people would be certain of them selves that they would kill it when it attacked or hunt it down to kill it. I do not believe in hunting because it has become a mindless sport. People hunt because they want to, not of necessity. Many tribes, past and present, have hunted for survival. These tribes have killed to feed their family and to use as much of the animal remnants as possible. In today's time, hunters kill and use very little leaving the remnants to rot or eaten by scavengers. This is not helpful to scavenging animals because they will become tame, unable to hunt for themselves. Hunting is a mindless sport that does nothing overall but feed on human instincts to kill.

I know I went into a rant, I felt it necessary. I have an unpleasant experience to gain knowledge from. I hope that others will respect nature and the boundaries between nature and humans.