Headhunted... Opening Doors
From The Book of Awakening: Having the Life You Want by Being Present to the Life You Have.
We are all made delicate or we perish.
Isn't this the cloth our griefs sew?
-Meditate on a situation you are now facing in which you are being hard, stubborn, and resistant.
-Look at your stubbornness. What are you preserving by being hard? What might break if you continue being resistant?
-Now look beneath your stubbornness. What do you fear will happen if you bend to the situation? What might be gained by softening?
So, yeah, um… kinda sorta perfect for today… in which the truly unexpected happened.
I was getting ready to go to work - an afternoon assignment at a school not too far away from where I live… (okay it takes an hour and a half to walk there) when the phone rang…. I answered, and without making a long story too long… or too short, the person on the other end of the line was from a recruitment agency that had seen my CV online, and wanted to know if I would be interested in taking a teaching job… in Egypt.
*Blinks* In Egypt? Where in Egypt…? Cairo. Right… initially I told them that while I was interested, I didn't think it would be possible because I had a commitment for next October/November, which would be in school time. They thanked me for my honesty, and hung up. Not two minutes later calling back against to say that it was a fixed term contract that would end before then - would I be interested?
My first thought was that I couldn't go to Cairo without Mir… Yes, honestly that was my first thought… but I listened to what is actually a very good position when all is said and done… all manner of other 'what ifs' and 'buts' running through my mind. I said I would be interested in theory in hearing more if the school was interested in me… They asked for an updated CV - which I emailed, and not long after I had done that, they called again, very excited, and wanting to know if the head teacher of the school would be able to call me this evening to conduct a telephone interview… because he definitely wanted to talk to me. My head was still reeling with all the 'what if,' questions, and the 'but' and the fears that make everyone (not just me) resistant to change… unwilling to take a chance…
I called Mir and we talked for a long time, (I hope I didn't make her late for work), talking about all the thoughts and considerations and questions… with me still worrying about being there without her. I had imagined that when we went to Egypt it would be together… I had that so fixed in my mind… and all afternoon too, as I had time to think at least, while the kids were practising for Christmas… a long succession of What ifs.. buts… and worries. I wrote down a whole list of questions and concerns and things to put to the head when he Skyped… we must have been on Skype together for about half an hour, at least, though I have to say it wasn't at all like an 'interview' that you might expect. I got the feeling from him (and he pretty much said at one point) that he'd made up his mind that I was probably the one of the three people he was talking to, and that he believed in, when you know a connection has been made, going with your feelings… but he did answer my questions and concerns… laid to rest most of my worries - of course, any new job, any change is always kind of scary, but… that's natural… so he's waiting on a second reference, and to talk to his other two candidates, before he makes a decision and comes back with an offer letter.
Talking with Mir afterwards, back and forth about ideas, and concerns and everything, she helped me to realise how good this could be, not only for me as a professional and as a person, but for the both of us… and certainly on a financial level it would be a good thing. How it could broaden horizons (literally I guess), make connections and open doors… and maybe in the long run, make it possible and easier to find a way to be where I want to be - with Mir, in the USA. How good does it look with that kind of stuff on your resume? What school wouldn't want someone with that kind of experience in their work history. All told, I have far more to gain from this experience by bending with it, than being unyielding and rigid and refusing the experience in spite of my concerns, and though I don't really want to be there without Mir and she doesn't want me to be there without her, it would be a very stupid thing to do to pass up the opportunity and everything that came along with it. Watch this space I guess - I will find out I the school wants me within the next couple of days or so… and if they do… well… not long after that I could be in Cairo.
We are all made delicate or we perish.
Isn't this the cloth our griefs sew?
-Meditate on a situation you are now facing in which you are being hard, stubborn, and resistant.
-Look at your stubbornness. What are you preserving by being hard? What might break if you continue being resistant?
-Now look beneath your stubbornness. What do you fear will happen if you bend to the situation? What might be gained by softening?
So, yeah, um… kinda sorta perfect for today… in which the truly unexpected happened.
I was getting ready to go to work - an afternoon assignment at a school not too far away from where I live… (okay it takes an hour and a half to walk there) when the phone rang…. I answered, and without making a long story too long… or too short, the person on the other end of the line was from a recruitment agency that had seen my CV online, and wanted to know if I would be interested in taking a teaching job… in Egypt.
*Blinks* In Egypt? Where in Egypt…? Cairo. Right… initially I told them that while I was interested, I didn't think it would be possible because I had a commitment for next October/November, which would be in school time. They thanked me for my honesty, and hung up. Not two minutes later calling back against to say that it was a fixed term contract that would end before then - would I be interested?
My first thought was that I couldn't go to Cairo without Mir… Yes, honestly that was my first thought… but I listened to what is actually a very good position when all is said and done… all manner of other 'what ifs' and 'buts' running through my mind. I said I would be interested in theory in hearing more if the school was interested in me… They asked for an updated CV - which I emailed, and not long after I had done that, they called again, very excited, and wanting to know if the head teacher of the school would be able to call me this evening to conduct a telephone interview… because he definitely wanted to talk to me. My head was still reeling with all the 'what if,' questions, and the 'but' and the fears that make everyone (not just me) resistant to change… unwilling to take a chance…
I called Mir and we talked for a long time, (I hope I didn't make her late for work), talking about all the thoughts and considerations and questions… with me still worrying about being there without her. I had imagined that when we went to Egypt it would be together… I had that so fixed in my mind… and all afternoon too, as I had time to think at least, while the kids were practising for Christmas… a long succession of What ifs.. buts… and worries. I wrote down a whole list of questions and concerns and things to put to the head when he Skyped… we must have been on Skype together for about half an hour, at least, though I have to say it wasn't at all like an 'interview' that you might expect. I got the feeling from him (and he pretty much said at one point) that he'd made up his mind that I was probably the one of the three people he was talking to, and that he believed in, when you know a connection has been made, going with your feelings… but he did answer my questions and concerns… laid to rest most of my worries - of course, any new job, any change is always kind of scary, but… that's natural… so he's waiting on a second reference, and to talk to his other two candidates, before he makes a decision and comes back with an offer letter.
Talking with Mir afterwards, back and forth about ideas, and concerns and everything, she helped me to realise how good this could be, not only for me as a professional and as a person, but for the both of us… and certainly on a financial level it would be a good thing. How it could broaden horizons (literally I guess), make connections and open doors… and maybe in the long run, make it possible and easier to find a way to be where I want to be - with Mir, in the USA. How good does it look with that kind of stuff on your resume? What school wouldn't want someone with that kind of experience in their work history. All told, I have far more to gain from this experience by bending with it, than being unyielding and rigid and refusing the experience in spite of my concerns, and though I don't really want to be there without Mir and she doesn't want me to be there without her, it would be a very stupid thing to do to pass up the opportunity and everything that came along with it. Watch this space I guess - I will find out I the school wants me within the next couple of days or so… and if they do… well… not long after that I could be in Cairo.