Rebuilding Rob

This Thursday marks the Thanksgiving holiday here in America. While Thanksgiving has a complicated legacy, both historically and politically, I do think this is an appropriate time of year to reflect, to look back, to be grateful for what we have and to look forward to the future. Is this corny? Probably…

I am thankful for my health, and that of my family.

First and foremost is the health of myself, my boys, and my immediate family. Yes, we’ve all dealt with illnesses throughout the year, but we have made it through happy and healthy.

I am thankful for my current job

This past spring, the principal whom I worked for five years – including during the COVID lockdowns – told me that she would not be renewing my contract at the end of the school year. I was angry.  I was hurt. I felt betrayed. It wasn’t a matter of poor work performance or bad evaluation scores.   I think that, unofficially, I was a victim of budget cuts. I wasn’t being fired from the district, but I still felt betrayed by a boss for whom I went out on a proverbial limb multiple times.   Fortunately for me, a good friend was able to get me into another school in the district. Speaking of which…

I am currently working the same school district that i went to myself as a child growing up. I originally applied for a job in the district 19 years ago. I wasn’t able to get in then. It’s not the best paying job in the district, and it’s probably not where I ultimately want to end up, but it is a steady paycheck and it is providing for both me and my family.

I am thankful for creating memories.

This summer, and even now whenever I have one or both of the boys with me, I have tried to make a point of taking advantage of the time that we have together. I want to do fun stuff! And I made a point of that this summer. Kid 2 and I attended Major League Baseball games in “Road Cities”; that is to say that we went to games in both Chicago and in Pittsburgh. Again, I know this doesn’t sound like a big deal to a lot of people, but I have a tendency to let time slip away. I will sit around, and not do much of anything fun. And then kind of later on, when that time is gone I wonder “ where did all my time go?” I’m trying to make a point of being more active and creating more memories both for myself and for my children. I’m looking forward to the opportunity of doing that more so again at this summer as well.

Currently, kid 2 is with me for the entire Thanksgiving week. And while we are spending time with family, doing school work, and tending to household duties, I am also making a point of making this some extra special fun time for him. We are creating memories.

The shape of things to come

I’m already looking to the future; thinking about 2024. I think that this will finally be the year that I return to Graduate School to finish to complete master’s degree. Also, I got on a scale today and I decided that enough is enough. This is the year that I am going to finally rededicate myself to getting back into shape. As for this summer, I want to continue to make memories with both kid one and kid two.

I turn 50 this year. 50!

Finally, as much as I would like to be in a relationship, I’m at a place where I am happy being single. This is the first for me. I’m usually the hopeless romantic, always looking for a relationship. It feels very liberating, and also a little bit scary, in that it such a…foreign feeling for me.

I am thankful for this blog!

I originally started this blog 11 years ago as I was going through my separation and impending divorce. I’ve taken a break from it a few times, and some instances even over a span of 2 to 3 years, but for the last four months, I’ve been writing more consistently than ever. I have more viewers checking out my blog than ever before, and it has reignited my passion for writing! For all of that, I am extremely grateful.

What are you thankful for this year?

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• Rob’s Retro Movie Review: This is Spinal Tap (1984) – The Movie That Scaled to Eleven
• A Death in the Family (And My Disposable Income): My Life in Comics
• The Supporting Cast: Navigating the Eras of Male Friendship
• Life is What Happens: A Look Back at My Non-Existent 2025 Vision
• The Moment I Walked Inside a Hallmark Movie

The article “a time to be thankful“ first appeared on Rebuilding Rob.