Interview Daze

those of you who read regularly know I applied for a position in another college in my district. Yesterday I interviewed. It was rigorous, grueling even, and truthfully, I think I did okay. I didn't fall on my face but I didn't wow the room, either. That's how I recall it anyway. I'm not a very good judge of how I do in situations like that.

I still have deep tech background, very deep, and online experience they need desperately. But while I've had teachers in my classroom, and faced two other hiring panels in my life and always done very well, yesterday...I'm not so sure. Coming from in district and having the vita I do will be what gets me the second interview with the president if that happens.

Because I have have such a vicious, relentless and critical side I'm trying just to let this go. Take care of myself today, work out, and know I'm powerless over the outcome. Either way, I've got tenure. I'd probably have to work harder the first few years anyway.

And another thing which I can barely talk about even in an 'anonymous' blog. As senior warden, I'm helping a guy (I haven't met him yet, just helping him with business in the 'outside') who violated parole and was sent back to prison, at least for a few months. I wasn't told what his crime was by my priest. S has been talking about those Megan's law sites and so I checked one out yesterday; you know, the sites which detail where all the registered sex offenders in the county live, even give their pictures. I found several in my neighborhood. That was tough. Then, sure enough, I found this guy. He's a registered offender with some serious problems. I'm supposed to help him find storage for his stuff.

I don't even want to go into this guy's apt. I don't know precisely what he did as those sites give broad legal descriptions of the offenders' crimes, but this thing is making me sick to my stomach. I've already said I'd like to go visit him in prison when school gets out, an entire day's trip for me. What can I say or do? Pray with him, sure. Will he even discuss, admit, any of his crimes. Sex offenders scare me, what little I know about them. I trust them less than anyone on the planet. Their disease is so potent and clearly lifelong in most cases.

So there you go. A less than great interview for a job I still feel sad about taking (leaving my other campus and all) and a guy I'm helping who is a s.o. who, somehow or other, violated parole. Rockin. Good times.

I simply have to think about the boundless, truly boundless, grace of Christ. It's not my responsibility to protect the world from this guy; this system has to do that. All I can do is offer assistance as much as I'm capapable. It doesn't help that I just read about that little florida girl who they think was raped, tied in garbage bags clutching a stuffed animal and buried alive. I've been anti-death penalty for a while now, though since I have nothing to do with death penalty cases or legislation I don't give it much thought. But what that guy in Florida did...can I extend grace in my heart to that man? I don't know. Luckily I don't have to.

And I don't think the guy in my parish did anything like that or he wouldn't be going back in for just six months. My priest, who is not telling any of what he's in for, is really advocating for us to assist him in his basic needs. I guess this is the real deal. I was very excited about doing this kind of work, felt truly right about helping a poor guy in jail, until I found him on the web.

Well, enough for now. Other things call. I've begun blogging more on Mr. Doom but I'll post another time.

t