Charms Continued

Somehow, I got sidetracked...for a really long time, but it's time to start telling the stories of my charms again. Next story coming this week.

Double T

The Double T is for Texas Tech University. When I was a junior in high school, I went with my best friend and her parents to her college orientation at Texas Tech University. The campus was gorgeous. Tons of old trees, wide open spaces, cool old dorms, a kick butt athletic center. I had a great time, I caught senioritis, and I fell in love with the school.

I ended up going to Tech partially because of this visit, and partially because they dealt with me better than Texas A&M did. No matter what the reason, I spent five years at this school. My initial response to the campus proved to be true. Tech was an awesome school.

Unfortunately, Texas Tech University is in Lubbock, Texas. And while I loved and love Tech to this day, there was no happier day in my life than the one when my father drove us away in a UHaul when I graduated. Happiness truly is Lubbock in your rearview mirror.

Color Guard

My first teaching assignment was at my alma matar. When I was a student there, I was a huge band geek. I was in the marching band and concert band. I loved the daily music fix, and I loved being part of an organization full of people with interests similar to mine. During April of my first year teaching, I agreed to be the color guard sponsor for the marching band for the following school year. (At the time, I planned on indefinitely.)

This was a mistake. My relationship with the head director had not been positive. He played favorites and was not a nice man. I thought as a teacher, this would change, but I was seriously mistaken. What I didn't know when I was happily going about my business during the beginning of the following year is that the person who had been hired to teach the girls in the color guard was not following the rules. So much so, that he ended up being fired for misconduct with a student about half-way through the marching season before he'd finished coreographing the routine.

The girls were devastated. And although I couldn't teach them, I could love them. And I did. I was serious about protecting them from all the things that were happening around them. Even through all the backlashes from the head director, total lack of communication and utter hostility, I came to see these young ladies as "my girls."

One of "my girls", Caroline, gave this charm to me for Christmas that year. My goal is that one day I'll be able to look at it and just remember the great times I had with her and the rest of the group. For now, it's a precious reminder of the importance of loving those you come in contact with.

I was only the sponsor of this group for one year. And even though taking the job was a mistake, I wouldn't change a thing. I learned a lot. And those lessons have ended up being important thoughout my career.

Eye of Horus

I love Egypt. I have been fascinated by ancient Egyptian history for a long time. My favorite part of ancient Egypt is the mythology. The stories of the gods and godesses are so cool. My favorite of the pantheon of ancient Egyptian gods is Horus. He was the god of goodness and light, which is cool. His eye was the moon. I'm a fan of the moon. Especially taking pictures of it. I've always thought the moon was exceptionally beautiful. Given all of the cool meaning, this charm was a present to myself. Hey, I didn't say all of the charms were gifts!

Easter Egg

A few years ago, my parents purchased a few charms for my bracelet. I think they were for my birthday, but I don't remember the exact ocassion. What I do remember is that my dad was the deliverer of gifts and he had a special explanation for this charm. He said he picked out an egg because, "that's how you started out." Ah. My father. I thought it was a little weird, but mostly I thought it was funny because I get my dad's sense of humor. It sure has been a fun one to explain though. No one expects that story.

Number 7

My favorite number is the number 7. One night as I was checking out the cool charms on eBay, I decided that my bracelet needed a number 7 on it, so I ordered it, and here it is.

Why the number 7 you ask? The answer to that question is the fun part of the story behind this charm. So here it goes:

1. In Judeo-Christian tradition, the number 7 symbolizes completeness or perfection. I like that.
2. If you continue looking at the symbolism of numbers in Judeo-Christian tradition, the number 7 is the summation of God (symbolized by the number 3 - the godhead) and man (symbolized by the number 4). God + Man = Completeness or Perfection. 3+4=7. Cool.
3. There are 7 members of my immediate family: My mom, my dad, me, Rebecca, Adam, Elizabeth, and Rachel.
4. If you count the two babies that didn't make it to full term, there are 7 kids in my immediate family.
5. On the 7th day, God rested, and I need the reminder to rest since I have a tendency to fill my plate to overflowing.
6. It's a prime number. Prime numbers are cool.
7. Bond. James Bond.

Special Teacher by James Avery

My first year of teaching was incredibly challenging. I was hired two weeks into the school year because the enrollment was much higher than anticipated, and I'd made a good impression on the director of personnel. As a result of my late start, I was assigned one class from one teacher (who was exceptionally awesome, and the kids had already bonded with her - a.k.a. the class from hell), one class from another teacher (who was a first-year teacher just like me and was so grateful to have her load lightened), and one class was created taking students from various classes throughout the school to lower the numbers in those classes. For some reason, that last class and I had an instant rapport, and became quite close. I always looked forward to seeing them.

That spring, about a week before my 24th birthday, one of the kids asked me if I'd step in the hall for a minute because they (the class) had something they needed to talk about. I was puzzled, but I did as they asked. I think the only reason this worked is that I was inexperienced, I trusted them, and their request was totally unexpected. What I found out a week later is that they had decided to go in together on a gift for me for my birthday, and they were making arrangements.

I was so touched when I was presented with this beautiful charm by James Avery on a silver chain. I immediately put it on, beaming with a huge silly grin, and wore it every day for the rest of the school year.

That summer, I moved out of my parents' house into my first apartment in San Antonio. I'd had to live with them that year because I couldn't afford my own place. I packed everything as if I was moving to another state, including my charm. But when I unpacked my things, I couldn't find my charm. I was so upset. I scoured my new apartment and then scoured my parents' home to no avail. It was gone. I'd lost it.

About seven months later on Christmas morning, my dad was playing Santa, passing presents out one gift at a time as he has done for all of the Christmases I can remember (barring one when he decided he was sick of being Santa). As we were going around, oohing and aahing as presents were opened one by one, it came to my turn. In a little James Avery box, was the charm you see at the top of this post. My mom told me that the charm was partly to replace the one I'd lost, and partly because they were so proud of me. I think I actually cried (I'm a huge sap).

This charm was actually the reason I started wearing my bracelet. There was no way I was going to lose this charm again, so I took it and the charms my parents had given me in high school, and I had James Avery size the bracelet and solder the charms on.