Well hello. It's been a minute!
I hope the thought of me writing in third person tickles your fancy. Why? Because I'm going to give you a Cliff's Notes style run down of my turbulent summer of ups, downs, and alot in between:
Prologue Summary & Analysis
At summer's start, a woman named Sarah looks ahead and prepares for what will be the busiest months of her year. Her workload will be at it's most chaotic, and it will also her favorite time of year- a season of bright colors, hot sun, swimming and kayaking in cool Tennessee waters, and any other number of outdoor adventures. The season is ready to blossom.
Part 1
June kicks off at a boisterous pace. A dramatic shift propels the rest of the summer into a turbulent time- Sarah's current boss receives and accepts an exciting new job offer. Within weeks, she- the only other full time staff in the department- is gone. From that point forward, a frenetic couple of months ensues. Days are spent training new people, learning new work (as Sarah is the fill in for the recently departed boss), maintaining current programs, planning the upcoming fall schedule, and tying up ends that were left loose.
Part 2
Burning both ends, Sarah pushes ahead. With the help of a small crew of very hard workers, all summer programs are pulled off successfully. Sarah realizes she has a genuine passion for this job, and is excited at the prospect of continuing in this role although no decision will be made about who will fill the position permanently until months later.
Part 3
Summer programs start winding down. Sarah is still working at a feverish pace to pull together an innovative new program for fall. She is excited by the possibilities, but the sacrifices incurred by her commitment to this work venture begins to weigh heavily upon her. The summer is almost gone, and she sees many things she cherishes were dropped along the wayside- her home has been neglected, the flower and vegetable gardens she keeps every summer are overrun with weeds. She has not spent time in the studio pursuing her creative goals. She has missed important events, such as weddings of friends, and has been generally absent from friends and family. No waterfalls have been explored, far too few sunny days have been enjoyed and appreciated.
Part 4
Interviews for the position are held, the process looms overhead for weeks. Sarah goes on vacation, relieved to drop the chaos of the work and enjoy the final weeks of summer. A series of mishaps- major car repair,a poison ivy outbreak, etc- overshadow the vacation. The end of vacation will also mark the announcement of interview results.
Part 5
Sarah returns home post vacation -covered in painful poison ivy welts and showing a significantly decreased bank balance. With the return home, heavy work news is imparted. During the week prior, one of the other top candidates was given the job- the job she has worked fiercely for all summer.
Epilogue
Part 1
Defeat, dissappointment, relief. How will she reconcile that months of the hardest work she could give was not enough to secure the job she thought she wanted?
Part 2
The initial shock begins to subside, as do the blistery welts covering 80% of her body. Refocusing is difficult. What was all that for? Was it worth the energy given? Was it worth postponing pursuit of the many of the other passions she has?
Part 3
Yes. As Sarah regroups and returns to appreciaitng the richness of the life she already has, she looks back and says "Yes, I gave it my best and have no regrets. A good challenge brings healthy perspective. This particular challenge wasn't meant to be but it
was worth it." She faces ahead and thinks, "I 'm back! Back with a new appreciation for the joys my life already holds. No more setting aside the surrounding beauty, love, and inspiration." Yes. It is good to be back.
I've missed you. Let's make plans. XOXO Sarah
