A Lone Man in the Wilderness

Well, since my wife left me 22 days ago (not that I'm counting), I have made every effort to stay as busy as possible. I have also avoided being home much except to sleep. Doing these things helps me avoid facing the reality of my loneliness. This afternoon is the first significant exception to my extreme business. How have I kept myself so busy you ask? Let me tell you:

• Student teaching at Jordan Seminary (and prepping lessons too)
• Working at Access RV
• Serving as counselor in branch presidency and branch clerk to Friendship Branch
• Spending time with family
  
• Traveling everywhere by bicycle, bus and train (while the car is in Pittsburgh with Kara)
• Talking with Kara on the phone and on Skype during whatever free time I have
  

Today, I find myself suddenly with significantly more free time for one main reason: the end of the school year at Jordan Seminary. This is an enormous weight lifted. Teaching has consumed me. I've loved it and I am sad to see it end, but it's a lot of work. I am also sad that it also marks the end of my brief career with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Seminaries and Institutes of Religion. I had a very candid conversation with one of my seminary pre-service trainers on Tuesday after he observed my class. It was good.

On Wednesday afternoon, he called and informed me that I would not be invited to continue to student teach for the next school year. That was hard news to receive. Fortunately, I had the opportunity to attend a dinner and testimony meeting held for Jordan Seminary seniors that evening. I was uplifted, edified, touched and strengthened by the wise words of teenagers. (And the food was great, too.) Then I had the opportunity to attend two more testimony meetings Thursday morning and yet another testimony meeting on Friday morning. I will also get to attend Jordan High School graduation on Wednesday morning. I ask you, from what other job would you receive such a sendoff?

So I am disappointed that my seminary career hasn't worked out, but I'm certain it's for the best. There must be greater things in store for me. The difficulty is figuring out what those things are and being patient to see how life unfolds.

The only other event I wish to log here is my time with the Taylor children Friday and Saturday this week. My sister and her husband recently celebrated ten years of marriage. This week they celebrated by spending a few days in Zion National Park. When they left Thursday morning, my brother-in-law's parents were there to take care of their four children, ages two to eight. Then on Friday evening, I took charge of them until their parent returned Saturday evening.

When I arrived Friday, they had already been fed dinner. We played outside for a while and then I said it was time for pajamas. We all got changed, including changing a diaper for one and putting on a diaper for another. Then it was decided that they would sleep in a tent. It was too chilly to sleep outside so the tent was set up in the family room. Two of the boys slept in the tent while one of the boys joined Uncle Matt on the hide-a-bed. Only the youngest slept in her bed.

Saturday, we woke up and had both cold cereal and hot cereal for breakfast. Then we went and played at the fitness center for a couple of hours. We came home and had sandwiches, pizza and yogurt for lunch. We then played with Legos for a couple hours until they decided they wanted to watch Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (the 2005 Tim Burton version with Johnny Depp). It was at that time that Uncle Matt had a nap in another room. I watched the end of the movie with them because one of them came to get me so he could sit on my lap for the "scary parts". I then enlightened them on how much fun it can be to watch American films with foreign languages dubbed over. They greatly enjoyed watching Willy Wonka speaking French. Not long after the movie was over, their parents came home in time for dinner. I ate with them, looked at pictures of their trip and then went home.

Tomorrow I look forward to spending Memorial Day visiting graves with my parents, aunt, uncle, cousin, brother, sister-in-law, sister, brother-in-law, nephews and niece. It will be lovely.