~:[CH5 - Day 339]:~ The Scramble
The day already had a dark cloud overhead as I read news of a former student who was missing in the Oakland fire. Later in the day, it seemed as if she was confirmed dead. It's sad to hear news like this, even when you do not talk to the student regularly. As much as I despise being in a city where I know so many people, I also enjoy the occasional run in with a former student to see how they've grown. It's sad to know that that there is one I will not be running into. She has such energy and spirit and something that I think I should strive for. She was also part of my first Nationals group, dealing with the inefficiencies of learning the ropes during which we were hit with a small blizzard. I guess it reminds us to make the most of each day and don't let the little things get you down, as you never know when a day could be your last. As the Japanese exchange students filled the campus, I was happy to welcome them and while I was saddened by my lack of conversational Japanese (or any at all), I did my best to communicate and welcome them to our school. After getting some work done, I headed to the Towne Center to have one last run in with them and on the way to my car, I dropped my phone. The screen was kaput. Not cracked, but not working. I finished my errands to Costco and forgot to redeem my certificate. I got more work done and made progress before heading to the Irvine AT&T to find out that the service center officially closed a few days earlier. I waited in line, got skipped over, ordered my replacement phone which will come after I leave, lost my phone insurance because of this debacle, and now am the proud owner of a $30 smart phone until my replacement arrives. As I arrived home, I could have been saddened and disappointed, but I kept my spirits up, finished what I could and enjoyed the nostalgia as I edited the banquet video. I finished about ten minutes and all titling in that amount of time and moved ahead of schedule for once. While I probably won't stay ahead for long, I will see the positive in the day and not let all that could have brought me down, do so. As while things could be better, they sure could be a lot worse. Today, the world has lost a number of valuable assets and despite these tragedies, it is also a great time to celebrate the lives of those that we lost and remind ourselves to appreciate every moment we have on this earth and every person we were blessed to come across. As while I may duck and hide from students from time to time, the truth of the matter is, those encounters do nothing more than enrich my soul. Today we remember this wonderful woman and pray that her life beyond this world is filled with all the great things that she deserves.
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