~:[CH15 - Day 250]:~ Setting the Bar

 
~:[CH15 - Day 250]:~ Setting the Bar

It was a recovery day today. I sorted through my files and transferred what I needed to,. I began catching up on work that I hadn't gotten to. I even had a little time to rest. I truly was exhausted. However, as I thought about the concert from last night, I was blown away with the idea that this group is in the middle of a tour when they traveled to so many places and sold our stadiums like they did tonight. Others have come before them in these types of arenas, but the scale of what they did and the enthusiasm behind it, is something that I haven't seen. I definitely enjoyed the beautiful visuals of the stage and the amazing performances, but what I liked most is that it made me think of how I can push myself to raise the bar on my own goals. How can I do something on another level and raise the bar? How do I keep excelling and never settle without becoming too exhausted? Where do I find that balance? There are a lot of questions as you journey to improve yourself and push yourself, but if you want to set the bar, it doesn't come without the risks. Even if you're not aiming too high, trust in yourself and allow yourself to authentically be yourself while pushing forward to pursuing excellence. When you do what you love, it seems to be a lot easier to put in the time and effort to chase after your dreams. 

~:[CH15 - Day 249]:~ Truly Magical

 

~:[CH15 - Day 249]:~ Truly Magical

It was incredible to see my former athlete on stage. As a freshman he was quite. We did our best to make him apart of our team and he always came along, even if he hadn't found his voice yet. Fast forward to today and he spoke on stage in front of an entire ballroom of people. Not only did he give a speech today, he became a teacher who lectures in front of his students regularly, having to do something that wasn't easy for him not long ago. There was a lot of talk of overcoming obstacles and boundaries and I was touched by his words. Watching him dance on the dance floor later on, reminded me of our dance unit we held during PE years and years ago. It was a nostalgic moment, but also one that reminded me about the magic of our roles as educators. While we often use our meetings to talk about data, there is no data that can measure our ultimate reach. Learning how to score well on a standardized test to help our school's data, pales in comparison to see the growth of a student. I'm not saying it's not important, but there are many more measures to success than what we are looking at today. For those with students who haven't entered high school yet, I think it's definitely a valid point to consider. Where will they thrive the most? To see students thrive is what I hope for and something I have to remind myself of daily. I often veer of track with the stress of everything weighing down, but I must remember that in order for the magic to happen, I must fulfil my role and help provide the experiences these students need to help them find their voice. Congrats on your truly beautiful and magical union!

~:[CH15 - Day 248]:~ Community

 
~:[CH15 - Day 248]:~ Community

The moment we begin eating, I smile. We made it. Every year, getting to the finish line is the key goal at the Great Cow Run. For the athletes, they want to pass in the fastest time. For me, I want to get through it with minimal issues. As I look around, I am so grateful for all those who make this work. I see the parents who come year after year, the coaches and athletes who do their part, and the alumni and other supporters who show up year after year. This year, I had a few groups of alumni sign up and they ended up coming up clutch in making the meet work. It's also nice when you have to do very little instructing on the day of, as everyone takes on their role and moves forward. It takes a community to make things work and I am truly grateful to have our ohana. It's always nice to see everyone year after year and I am truly appreciative that they simply show up. At the end of the day, I smiled knowing we had crossed the finish line and it was only because of the community who uplifted me along the way. Thank you again for helping us maintain this wonderful event.

~:[CH15 - Day 247]:~ Enroute

 
~:[CH15 - Day 247]:~ Enroute

I got an email today and I was able to breathe a sigh of relief. The past few weeks have been ones I don't want to relive again. There was nothing devasting happening, but rather, it was a unwanted stress that kept me away from smooth sailing no matter how hard I worked. With so much on my mind, it was nice to celebrate the top five nominees in a beautiful setup by ASB which transported us to paradise. However, the road ahead today would be exhausting. I looked forward to the end of the day, but knew that the route to get there would be a little rough. Regardless, I set my destination and followed my route. We know that are moments in life that are more demanding than others and it's in these moments that we roll up our sleeves and get to work, knowing that it's part of the journey. We may not like it, but sometimes there's just not much we can do about it. Dig your heels into the ground and get ready for those challenging moments in life as when we begin our journey to our destination, when we are prepared for these challenging moments, our route becomes a lot more manageable. Congrats to the top five and a big shoutout to our wonderful ASB!

~:[CH15 - Day 246]:~ Learning the Ropes

 
~:[CH15 - Day 246]:~ Learning the Ropes

MUN is quite intimidating for freshman. You walk into a class that is not as clear cut as the core classes. You hear terminology on a regular bases you are not familiar with. There are not as many people who can help support you, as it's not as familiar to most. That's why we must do our best to practice and to learn. This stretch also allows the students to interact and also learn how to ask questions and seek help, which is a valuable foundation for MUN students. Even veterans will come across topics they are unfamiliar with. However, int he end, these students are rewarded in the end by facing up to the challenge and not backing down. There will be moments of tough lessons, however, in most cases, even if they fail, they'll be a valuable lesson learned in the process. MUN can be brutal, but the difficult moments often lead to the greatest growth. I look forward to how these students will change over time and it all will begin with moments like these where they have no clue what is going on, rather then simply trust the process and begin walking the sometimes difficult (yet rewarding) tightrope that is MUN.

~:[CH15 - Day 245]:~ Let's Cool Off & Chill

 
~:[CH15 - Day 245]:~ Let's Cool Off & Chill

It's been hot lately, but it's beginning to cool off a bit, which was nice. Still yet, it's been nice to be able to cool down a bit during this stressful week. Food runs are not a thing that many cross country team does, but taking the time out of the training schedule to let the athletes bond together is more valuable than coaches may think. You lose out on miles, but you can often gain bonds that end up netting more than those miles will end up doing. In any case, today was a much needed chill moment amid a very busy stretch of days. Once I got home, I focused right back in on getting work done, so I was glad to have this moment, even if it was just for a short while. Let's all take a little time out of our schedules and invest it into ourselves as while it may seem like we are wasting time, it may end up netting better results in the end. 

~:[CH15 - Day 244]:~ Stress Relief

 
~:[CH15 - Day 244]:~ Stress Relief

It's been quite the rollercoaster start to the week. Tonight, I was supposed to go to the BTS concert, but I knew how busy it would be and thus I unloaded the tickets awhile back. Dealing with some different variables this week, the stress has been higher than in most years. It's not something I wanted, but you learn to deal with it. I always have multiple plans in place, so adjusting to the changing landscape wasn't as bad as it could have been, but it still was stressful. Of course, what better way to relieve some of that stress than to take a quick visit across the way to take my daily selfie. It's nice to chat or joke around. He has to hear my complaints from time to time, but most of the time, it's just jibberish talk, but somehow it makes me feel better. Life is stressful, especially when the flow is off, so hopefully we can all find a way to unload that stress so we can keep moving forward, not being dragged down by the weight of life.

~:[CH15 - Day 243]:~ Almost Treasure

 

~:[CH15 - Day 243]:~ Almost Treasure

"I struck gold," I thought to myself when I found this. Later, when looking at the package, I found out it was past the "best" date. Is it treasure or is it not? I can't give it to my friend, which was the intended purpose, however, maybe I can keep it for something out. They often say that one man's trash is another man's treasure. While this is perishable, still, it could be something valuable to me (or someone else). It may not be gold, but it could still be something valuable. I think this applies to another of things in life. We can't quite put a value on things. When people indulge in this or that, we can't quite say, "it's a waste of money." It may be for us, but maybe not for someone else. Let's respect each and understand that our values are all different. While we should warn others of things that are detrimental to them, hopefully we can be supportive of the other decisions in life that those around us make. We may not value the choice they made, but let's not discount the value to them. It was an exhausting start to a busy week, however, I am hopeful that all will work out and I'll find that treasure buried someone along my road of life. 

~:[CH15 - Day 242]:~ My "Off" Day

 

~:[CH15 - Day 242]:~ My "Off" Day

Today was my first day off in August. Whether work, media, or traveling, today was the first and only day without anything scheduled. Of course, my "off" days are typically catch up days as I frantically sprint to keep up. I had a long of sprinting to do. I caught up a bit with my morning lesson, they got to work on the media I had to catch up on. There is a lot of work to do, but luckily, I made my way through the piles of work pretty well today. While I didn't finish everything I wanted to do today, it felt nice to lay down a bit as I worked or catch up on a few shows while multitasking. There is a lot of work ahead this week, but I also look forward to crossing the finish line on Saturday when I'll find a little weight taken off my shoulders. September is just as busy as August was, so I know I'll try enjoy my off day later in the moth, but I think when these types of days are limited, you truly learn to appreciate them and make the most use out of the time you're given. 

~:[CH15 - Day 241:~ Blessed Union of Souls

 
~:[CH15 - Day 241:~ Blessed Union of Souls

Do you remember the group, Blessed Union of Souls? I'm not sure why I thought of the group when I thought of today, but it truly was a day where two people were united as one - marriage. Today, I had a role for the first time, wedding coordinator. I was in charge of coordinating the wedding on the day of. I didn't do too much prior to the wedding, but when it came down to the day, it was my day to manage the event from start to finish. I was asked to do this since someone already knew how many events I ran and how I am able to keep things organized and on time. The reality is, at times, I was a little clueless, but I figured it out and by night's end, everything ran efficiently and we even finished early. It was truly a blessing to be able to do this as I learned a lot in the process and connected with a few people while fulfilling my duties. I am not planning on taking on this task anytime soon, if ever, however, I am glad for the experience. I have always been someone who is open to trying new things and today was a reminder that doing so, isn't that bad. I unlocked a new skill this weekend. I think of myself as a jack of all trades, but a master at none. Even though I may not be top tier in any one thing, I am glad that I have a wide range of skills that are useful in life. As the night closed out, it was great to see the smiles on the faces of all those in attendance, as they celebrated the union of these two beautiful souls. I truly enjoyed the experience of being the day of coordinator, but I'll also be happy to be able to sit down and rest a little tonight and tomorrow after a long day's work. Congratulations to the newlyweds!

~:[CH15 - Day 240:~ It Is What It Is

 

~:[CH15 - Day 240:~ It Is What It Is

Sometimes in life, things don't work out as planned. It is what it is. What you can we do about it? We can improve ourselves to help us get on top of everything for a better result next time, however, for now, there isn't much more that can be done. Life itself throws us all kinds of curve balls. The pendulum has been swinging as there are good days and no so good days, but for the most part, we just have to deal with any given situation. No matter how things turned out today, there isn't much we can do about it today. However, we can begin preparing ourselves to avoid just accepting what is suppose to happen and use this opportunity to prepare ourselves when the opportunity arises. At the end of the game, the scoreboard read 3-7, as we fell short while they scored in the final minute of play, however, it is what it is. While we cannot change the outcome of this game, if we have the right mindset, we'll be prepared no matter what condition life throws at us. 

~:[CH15 - Day 239:~ A Little Resistance

 

~:[CH15 - Day 239]:~ A Little Resistance

These past few days have been quite the challenge as the schedule keeps needing to be adjusted. The hot weather is draining especially since it's been hot for a stretch. Of course, these kinds of challenges makes us stronger. Once again, we met at 6pm, but this time, we went up against the famed Brookhaven loop. The athletes got their Thursday strength workout as they battled up the overpasses to build some strength. In life, we often try to find the easiest path possible to our goals. However, when we see resistance in our lives, it actually makes us better prepared for what's ahead in life. The hills make the flat seem easy and those challenging days will help build your will power and ability to adapt to various situations. While we don't always want to be under a storm cloud, building some resistance is useful to help make us into resilient people in the future. 

~:[CH15 - Day 238]:~ It Makes Cents

~:[CH15 - Day 238]:~ It Makes Cents

My favorite project of the year is the one that kicks it off. My seniors dive into economics by applying for a job and then budgeting for their family. It's fun to see them figure out where they can live and to decide what they need versus what they want. It's always intriguing to see what they value in. These views change over time as I've seen these student change their focus on what is important. It's definitely important for these students to understand the value of money, but also time, as they begin their path into their future careers. There will still be a lot to learn as they head forward, but at least I know they'll have greater appreciation for their parents as they'll understand the challenges of preparing for life. 
 

~:[CH15 - Day 237]:~ Beating the Heat

 

~:[CH15 - Day 237]:~ Beating the Heat

A number of things have made this week difficult, but the weather topped the list. As the start of the year has been busy, it becomes even more exhausting when the sun is beating down on you. I typically don't leave my room during the day, so I avoid it until my break before cross country. With regular practice canceled all week, on our two harder workouts, we planned to meet a bit later. We definitely found cooler temperatures, but we also ran out of daylight as I stayed until 8:30pm. It was nice to run in the cooler weather and great to see the athletes not be bothered much by the weather, but still yet, it was exhausting to have such a long day especially with so much on my plate right now. Of course, you can't control everything, so you have to plan and figure out what to do to overcome these challenges. Sometimes, it's impossible, but no matter what, you try to find  away. We were rewarded with a beautiful sunset as practice wrapped up and I only hope that there is something beautiful at the end of all of our journeys.

~:[CH15 - Day 236]:~ The Most Precious Moments

 
~:[CH15 - Day 236]:~ The Most Precious Moments

It was a good idea. My cousin showed me the ad and so I sent a message out to our family. My cousins and my parents decided to join in. It was great. As we walked in, I captured this moment of them walking in. I thought a millions things from "what a shot" to appreciating the time we have together. I am a busy person, but I am glad that I was able to enjoy some time together as we watched the game. The Angels lost, but we got our jersey. It was hot, but it was nice to hang out with my parents and cousins. The wins and loses will come and go, but spending precious time together may one day vanish. Treasure these opportunities and moments as you never know when your last chance will be. Towards the end of the game, a player threw a ball into the stands. With a camera in one hand, I tried to catch it with a backhanded left hand, but of course, I lost it, it bounced off my cousin and into the crowd behind me. I was bummed I wasn't going home with a ball, but looking back, there were still many great memories that will become part of my life's precious memories. 

~:[CH15 - Day 235]:~ No Matter How You Spin It

 
~:[CH15 - Day 235]:~ No Matter How You Spin It

Another hot day; another long day; another amazing day. It was truly a fun-filled day as I captured the performances, this time ready for the lighting on stage. My fingers were adjusting well to the lighting and the pictures came out as I hoped, unlike yesterday. I guess experience does help a lot as I learned how to address the changing lights. Things ran smoothly except for the fact that I left my portable at home. I quickly went home to grab it and headed to the final event of the weekend. It definitely was different than expected, but it was amazing. It was fun to hear everyone DJing and exciting to watch all the attendees energized, doing their thing. I was bouncing around while taking photos and may have jumped in had I know the dances they were doing. I didn't, but maybe I should have. Regardless, by night's end, I realized that I truly made some connections that seem like they'll be lasting and made a few connections that I'll see where they go. No matter what though, this weekend was fun-filled and fruitful. Sometimes in the middle of an event I ask myself, "was this really worth it?" This weekend, there is no doubt that I would say yes, even though my mind and body may disagree and need a lot of rest this weekend. No matter how much energy you exude, however, when things are going well, you're willing to let it all out and do your thing on the turntables of life. Looking back, I am so grateful for this weekend and glad I committed to it all, as when tomorrow comes, I'll still be living in a dream as I sort through all the wonderful memories.

~:[CH15 - Day 234]:~ No Time to Spare

 
~:[CH15 - Day 234]:~ No Time to Spare

Yurimaru tossed the last ball down the lane and pinsetter turned off, closing out the day. It was a long day, but a fun-filled one. I actually started the evening at the bowling alley off with two strikes. It was a great start to the evening on a day that already went fairly well. In the morning, things panned out fairly well despite the sweltering heat. The lighting was a little tough to work with, but I got a few shots and made some friends along the way. It was nice to chat with people, as I normally just get my shots and move on, but I ended up meeting a few kinds souls who truly were amazing people. It was nice to have a little time to chat with a few idols and share their photos with them, as I think one of the motivations I have to take photographs is to capture the amazing moments in life for other people. I am surrounded by people who do such amazing things and I feel that it should all be documents in some way. Looking back, in my conversations, today was truly a memorable day. There were so many incredible memories made today and I am truly grateful to be around the people I have met along the way in life. I think bowling has a lot of parallels to life. As I threw a few perfect balls down the line, the reaction ended up leaving a few tough splits. By frame's end, I didn't convert the spare. No matter how perfect you do something, it doesn't mean it will work out. In reality, you need to right reaction and a little bit of luck to make things work out. Luckily, when working with people like Yuirmaru and a few friends from the day, I realized that I truly had the right mix of things come together correctly, which allowed me to end up with a day full of perfect strikes. My score at the end of the night didn't matter and neither did the fatigue from a long day, rather, these joyous moments I'll treasure forever became what mattered the most. We can do so much to try to prepare for life and try to perfect things as much as possible, but at the end of the day, how the day turns out relies on many factors outside of your control. Today could have just ben an exhausting day as I bounced from one thing to the next, rushing around, however, because of everyone around me, today became an incredible day that ultimately a strike in one of the frames of my life. 

~:[CH15 - 234日目]:~ 悠長な時間はない

ユリマルが最後のボールをレーンに投げ、ピンセッターが停止してその日のボウリングは終わった。長い一日だったが、楽しさで満ちていた。実は、この夜のボウリングは2連続ストライクという最高の形で始まったのだ。すでに順調に進んでいた一日の締めくくりとして、素晴らしいスタートだった。朝は猛暑にもかかわらず、物事はかなり順調に進んだ。照明の扱いに少し苦労はしたが、何枚か写真を撮ることができ、その過程で新しい友人を作ることもできた。素晴らしいことを成し遂げている人たちに囲まれていると、そのすべてを何らかの形で記録に残すべきだと感じる。振り返ってみると、今日交わした会話も含め、本当に記憶に残る一日だった。今日生まれた素晴らしい思い出の数々に感謝し、これまでの人生で出会った人たちと共にいられることにも心から感謝している。ボウリングは人生と多くの共通点があると思う。完璧なコースでボールを投げても、その結果として厄介なスプリット（ピンが離れて残る状態）になってしまうことがある。結局、そのフレームでスペアを取ることはできなかった。どんなに完璧に物事を行っても、必ずしもうまくいくとは限らないのだ。実際には、物事を成功させるために適切な反応と少しの運が必要になる。幸いなことに、ユリマルやその日一緒にいた友人たちと過ごす中で、必要な要素がすべてうまく噛み合っていることに気づき、結果として「完璧なストライク」で満たされた一日を過ごすことができた。夜の終わりのスコアや、長い一日による疲れなどどうでもよかった。それよりも、永遠に大切にしたいと思える喜びの瞬間こそが、何よりも重要だったのだ。人生に向けて準備をし、物事を可能な限り完璧にしようと努力することはできるが、結局のところ、その日がどうなるかは自分のコントロールの及ばない多くの要因に左右される。次から次へと用事をこなし、慌ただしく動き回るだけの、ただ疲れ果てるだけの一日になっていた可能性もあった。しかし、周囲の人たちのおかげで、今日は素晴らしい一日となり、私の人生というゲームにおける一つのフレームで見事なストライクを決めることができたのだ。

~:[CH15 - Day 233]:~ Welcome Back

 

~:[CH15 - Day 233]:~ Welcome Back

After a long Friday at work, I headed to the convention center as they were holding a welcoming for the idols from Japan. It's only been a few weeks since we last worked together, but it was nice to see Yurimaru and Aonyan again. I went to this convention a few years ago, but was attending for a different reason. It was nice to know a lot about the performers and be comfortable with them all. Less than half a year ago, three of the performers I had just met for the first time, yet this time around, I already felt familiar with them. It was nice to see them again. It will be quite the eventful weekend and while it would be nice to finally have a break during a weekend, tonight reminded me that the next few days will be fun while capturing all the wonderful moments from the weekend. 

~:[CH15 - Day 232]:~ Designs in Mind

 
~:[CH15 - Day 232]:~ Designs in Mind

I think my daily grind is all about creativity. I have to come up with ideas for the classroom, see the scene for the photoshoot, or come up with designs for t-shirts, events and more. My brain is constantly moving and creating. For those who don't know, my college degree is actually a bachelors in fine art. I studied mostly photo and video and it's been useful ever since. Sometimes, I hit that mental block or struggle with lighting or focus when photographing, but when I find my groove, a design can pop out in five to ten minutes or photographs just seem to come out just right. I was talking to someone on when they perform the best. It's often when they are focused, yet relaxed. I think sometimes we put to much pressure on ourselves to do something amazing, when in reality, we only need to do what we do. Believe in yourself and don't doubt yourself and the path you designed ahead will await you with open arms. You have what it takes, now you just have to go out and do what you do best! 

~:[CH15 - Day 231]:~ Cooling Off

~:[CH15 - Day 231]:~ Cooling Off

Originally, we didn't have a meeting today, but the schedule shifted and a relaxed morning turned into a busy day. With Homecoming premiere at lunch, after classes, I jetted to the quad to capture the moment. It was great to hear that our theme this year will be Rio. I actually loved that movie and have always wanted to visit Brazil. Despite the heat, the performers did well and introduced this year's theme well. With the heat climbing through the day, I had to cool off and met someone at a tea house nearby. It was nice to chill and relaxed since we had the afternoon off before I headed home to get some work done. The weather has been climbing and I hope that we all find a way to deal with this weather and cool off a bit. Hopefully this weather pattern shifts in two weeks, but if not, we'll all be trying to find a way to cool off a bit.