Monday Musings: Breaking the mold

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I had the opportunity to attend the Texas Women in Higher Education (TWHE) conference last week. I always feel encouraged and motivated when I hear TWHE speakers and have the chance to meet female colleagues in other colleges and universities. There were young women, older women and women around my age in similar and vastly different phases of life. We came from 2-year and 4-year colleges, universities and medical schools. It was refreshing to connect with peers from around the state.

Even though it was encouraging to attend the conference, I still feel awkward sometimes – even around other women – because of my personal situation and family dynamic. I feel like a mold breaker, and I am … I have vented before about the “unspoken taboo” of having more than two children while pursuing a career in academia. Another mold that I’m in the process of cracking open is the percentage of community college students who go on to earn doctorate degrees.

I read an article in the past year that placed the figure at two percent, but in the course of trying to locate that same statistic, I came across another one that said one in five (20%) of doctorate recipients in 2009-10 attended a community college, at some point. That’s more encouraging, but it’s still a category that I’d like to bust open.

With those goals in mind, here’s my poem (nonet style) for this week:

What am I? I am a mold breaker
I cannot be put in a box —
An achiever, a leader
Limits stretch and expand —
I am capable
I have bold dreams
Nothing will
Hold me
Back

Mom’s night out

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My parents’ church has a monthly fundraiser for their college ministry where the college students volunteer to babysit on a donation basis. It’s a wonderful 3.5-hr break (6:30-10pm) that the kids (and parents!) love. We started calling it Kids’ Night Out because we thought it sounded better than Parents’ Night Out, and besides, they think of it as a special treat to go and hang out with friends, play games, make crafts, watch movies and eat popcorn.

Sometimes, parents do need a break. I remember hearing way back in college that one-of-these-days when you get married, it’s important to have a regular “date night” with your spouse. Well, for the first year, we couldn’t afford to go out much, then we had a kid, then two, then we REALLY couldn’t afford to go out, much less hire a sitter. Then, there were three, plus a move and more financial woes. I know you get the picture without hearing the whole history. Date Night sounds nice in theory, but it’s difficult to implement, in reality.

Thankfully, we’re in a much better position nowadays, but we’re by no means lavish, and it’s nice to find an alternative like college childcare night where parents can get a break for an evening without breaking the bank. It is a fundraiser, though, so I try to give a generous contribution, but anyway … the point is that it’s nice to be able to do every now & then.

Now that the eldest is old enough to babysit in the eyes of the State, I’ve also begun giving him babysitting opportunities. Last night, Nos. 2 & 3 spent the night with grandparents, so No. 1 stayed home with Nos. 4 & 5 while I went to dinner with some friends. He has babysat for a little while here and there, but I think last night was the first time that he watched his brothers without calling me once! He had it totally under control, and I was very proud of him.

It’s nice to come home from an evening out and find that everything is hunky-dory at home. He earned a bit more trust from me, and he’s earning good experience that ought to help him raise some spending money as he gets a little older. I know that I liked finding guy babysitters when the boys were young, because I felt like they might be able to relate better. Don’t get me wrong — we had some terrific girl sitters, but there’s something about boys connecting with each other, arr, arr, arr. I guess it’s a testosterone thing. :p

Don’t delay (Prayer Devotional for the week of April 15, 2012)

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Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night and remembered something that you needed to do, but by the time the morning rolled around, you forgot it again? I tend to be a list maker, and I have been known to send an email to myself, scribble a barely legible to-do note in haste, or leave a voice message on my office phone to remind me of something: “Good morning, Self! Did you add money to the kids’ lunch accounts yet?”

If I don’t leave myself a reminder, then I may drop the ball, miss a deadline, get caught unprepared. Come to think of it, Jesus talked about a similar dilemma in Matthew 25. He told a parable of 10 friends who were tasked with the job of waiting up all night for a groom to arrive to his wedding party. Their job was to light the way for the groom, and they were expected to be prepared when he showed up. They each had an oil lamp, but only five of them thought to bring extra oil.

The groom was really late arriving … like midnight. In the meantime, the 10 friends had dozed off, and when they heard the groom was finally en route, they scrambled to get their lamps ready. Unfortunately, five of them were short on lamp oil and had to leave the reception line to go buy some. When the groom arrived, he invited the other five inside and locked the door. The others returned from the store and asked to be let in to the party but were turned away.

This story may sound like a harsh way for a newlywed to treat his friends, but Jesus is trying to make a point with it. He has already invited us to the party to end all parties – one that lasts through all eternity! – but he asks us to be prepared. Is there something keeping you from being totally committed to Christ? Like the five who forgot their lamp oil, are you hoping to be good enough or perhaps just wait until the eleventh hour to get things right with God? Not everyone has a deathbed on which to make a last-minute confession. Life is short. Be prepared; don’t delay.

Foodie Friday: Traveling

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I don’t have a lot to share with you today, because I just got back into town from a conference. However, I will say that it can be difficult to stick to an eating plan while traveling.

I made do at lunch by scraping aside the rice and hoping the gravy/glaze/stuff on the chicken that I didn’t manage to scrape off discretely wasn’t too cornstarchy and sugary. The dessert reception was difficult, but I resisted pretty well. I did have two chocolate-dipped strawberries, but I avoided the pastries. <<That is saying a lot for this gal’s willpower! 🙂

All in all, I did ok, but it wasn’t my best two days of eating.