The Pros, The Decisions, The Choices, Achieving Balance

 



Sorry to be out of touch. We have been very busy! I am back shooting with my professional gear! These two pictures were both taken with that gear at the Jokyu-ji Temple. Yeah! Although I enjoy the ability to customize the shot and the versatility of the equipment, I am still blown away by the quality of the pictures taken by the iPhone 14 Pro. 

I have started the process of re-entering the work world as a paid employee or as a volunteer. I contacted the American School, an English speaking private school that is very close to where we live. They have a half-time position available for a special education assistant working with a 10th grade student in math. Right up my alley! I applied for that position and completed the substitute teacher application.

I also contacted an English-speaking tennis organization that provides lessons at sites around Tokyo, including the American School. A friend suggested that I contact St. Mary's, another local prominent English speaking school. The cool thing about that school is that it would involve a 10 mile bike ride along the Tama River. What a treat that would be!

I am honestly not sure what direction I want to take. Below are questions I have been asking myself. 

  1. Do I want to get a position that would involve consistent Monday-Friday attendance?
  2. Would I rather be a substitute teacher so I could pick and choose when I want to work?
  3. Do I want to go back to teaching and coaching tennis?
  4. I would like to get involved with environmental activism in some capacity. How could I do that?
  5. I am enjoying the freedom and flexibility of my current schedule. How can I preserve those characteristics and still find ways to contribute in a meaningful way? 

It will be interesting to see how this all plays out. Given the amount of experience I have, I would guess that I will be contacted by these organizations. I will then need to consider the pros and cons and make some choices. No one ever said that this would all be easy!

All the best,

Bob

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