And so it's done. My partner has left. My only other Teach for America colleague at the school drove into the sunset down Highway 491 heading toward Albuquerque. She'll be back on the East Coast by Sunday. I'll be lesson planning for Monday. And now I'm alone.
But I'm not alone. I have friends outside of Tohatchi. I have family on the East Coast. I have colleagues at the school and the Special Ed department to back me up. I have my assistant. I have my students.
But I don't have my Post Office buddy. I don't have my across-the-hall buddy. I don't have my fresh-baked-banana-bread buddy. I don't have my Wal-Mart run buddy. I don't have her and that's sad. Because on rough days, all I can look forward to is collapsing on the bean bag chairs during lunch with her and getting a big hug at the end of the day. We were both busy, occupied and had separate lives, but she was my only true peer on the mesa. I'm now the only teacher under the age of 40 and without children at the school.
I'll be OK. I'll be fine. I'll make more friends with people in my community. But in the meantime, I'll be alone.
I hope you'll manage)
Posted by: freelance writers | May 04, 2011 at 06:34 AM