Dear Friends,
Whenever possible, every person should choose as his life work some occupation which he should like to do anyhow, even if he did not need the money.
This is a significant week for me. After thirty-five years of teaching mathematics to adolescents of various ages, I'm officially retired.
It's an interesting landmark on the journey. I've worked with kids for my entire career, with a couple of brief detours. I've been in school, in one role or another, since the age of five, so I imagine it'll be odd when school begins without me in a few weeks.
I've been blessed by challenging work in a worthwhile profession that I've truly enjoyed. I've always believed that the teacher learns more than the students. Between teaching, coaching, and other activities I've worked with about six thousand young people, and all of those kids have taught me many valuable lessons. Most of all, I've been blessed to work with so many gifted educators. I'll miss the support and encouragement I've received from so many of my colleagues.
It's interesting to imagine where the road will lead next. Even in the most turbulent times, my career has always been a constant. Though I'm excited about the possibilities ahead, there's a certain amount of anxiety as I step onto a road with a much less defined destination. It's really a reminder that life is more about the journey than the objective. The only real certainty is that it won't happen exactly as we intended. In fact, life is mostly what happens while we're planning what's supposed to happen.
The course is rarely the straight line we imagine when we begin, and I've learned that you can't expect signs to mark the way. All we can do is prepare as well as possible for the unexpected choices we'll face. That's really the key--we think that it's all about momentous events, but when you look back the path is mostly defined by the ordinary, everyday decisions we make. Retirement is certainly a major intersection, but now the fun is anticipating the opportunities that await on all of those less traveled and less defined trails.
This week I heard someone characterize retirement as the time when we move from Someday Aisle to Memory Lane. I hope I haven't been living in "Someday I'll ..." and I definitely don't want to move onto Memory Lane.
With that idea in mind, I've added a new blog category called The Crazy Quest (What would you do if you didn't know you couldn't do it?) Here are the first two entries:
There’s A Top To Every Hill
The Crazy Quest
The Crazy Quest is sort of intimidating because I have no idea how I'll accomplish such a difficult task. My sincere hope is that it'll generate some interesting interaction and motivate some other folks to ask themselves, "What would I do if I didn't know I couldn't do it?" I'd love to hear your answer--perhaps you'll join me on your own crazy quest.
Thanks for reading and commenting on the blog. I always appreciate hearing from readers; you're an amazing group with a really interesting diversity of ideas and opinions. Some other recent entries:
Wheel-cam (the view from a seated perspective):
Covenant And Community
Communities And Enemies
Eight Keys To Confronting Adversity
Relentless Grace:
Letting Your Life Be Your Message
Shouting About God
Set Free Today (my Friday contribution to SetFreeToday.com):
Who’s The Real Enemy?
Why Do I Bother?
Rebuking The Storm
Please visit any topics that grab your attention.
Click here to receive blog updates via email.
le Tour de Pooch
Mark your calendar. September 5, 2009 is the official date for le Tour de Pooch 2009. We'll ride bikes, eat, catch up with old friends, and raise funds for Canine Partners of the Rockies. More details to follow, but make sure to reserve the date and pass the word to other intrepid cyclists and dog lovers.
Postcards From The Valley: Messages From A Fellow Traveler is still available as a free download. If you'd like to read these reflections or pass them along to someone else, please click on this link and complete the form. I'll reply via email with a link to a free e-version of the POSTCARDS.
I've also started work on a new project called A BRIEF GUIDE TO ACCOMPLISHING THE IMPOSSIBLE. This project addresses the question, "What would you do if you didn't know you couldn't do it?" More news soon.
If you prefer to read on your computer, Relentless Grace is now available as an ebook. Go to the order page to get your electronic version.
The book will also be available soon as an audio book.
If you've read recent blog entries you'll notice the recurring theme of building a community. As the newsletter and blog expand, as I speak to more people, and as RELENTLESS GRACE reaches more readers, I have a sense that there's a community forming around the notion of hope, dreams, and overcoming obstacles.
Thanks for joining this community and for telling others about it. I appreciate all you're doingto raise the Internet profile of Relentless Grace. For more simple ways to help with building the buzz, this page has some suggestions.
I'm still seeking speaking engagements with both general and faith-based audiences.
Talking to individuals and groups about hope, love, and the story of Relentless Grace continues to be an enriching and meaningful experience. I’d welcome the opportunity to visit your community and share a bit of my story. As summer and more predictable weather approach, I'm eager to travel a bit and expand the circle even further.
Calendar and News
Here are links to recent articles.
THE GOOD LITTLE GIRL: Signs of the Times (May, 09)
HEAVEN: Today's Pentecostal Evangel (Mar 8, 09)
NOT ABANDONED: The Lookout (Jan 18, 09)
GRANDMA'S CAR: Mature Living (Feb 09)
LE TOUR de POOCH: New Mobility (Feb 09)
June 13th: I'll speak at Men & Boys BBQ, First Christian Church, Loveland, Co.
June 25th brings an opportunity to speak to the inmates at Larimer County Detention Center.
July 3rd: I'll speak to the residents at Good Samaritan nursing home in Fort Collins.
October 17-18: Disability awareness day at Holy Shepherd Lutheran Church, Denver
November 5-7: TOUGH MINISTRIES CONFERENCE at The Woodlands United Methodist Church in Houston, Texas.
If you know someone who is looking for a motivational speaker, please contact me or forward this information to an appropriate contact.
If you are engaged in raising funds for a group or individual, send me an email and let’s discuss using the book to support your efforts.
Love your enemies--it really confuses them.
Blessings,
- Please visit my web site: http://www.richdixon.net
- I’d love to hear from you. Send me a note at: rich@richdixon.net
- If you haven't seen it yet, please click this link to view a short video trailer for Relentless Grace.
- Listen to my interview on KRFC
- Join the conversation about Relentless Grace at: Relentless Grace blog
- Read my blog post every Friday at: SetFreeToday.com
- To update your contact information: rich@richdixon.net
- I promise I won’t distribute your information to anyone for any reason.
- Take a moment for an Interview With God
