First Day of School

Well, I did it: survived my first day of school in 40 years. It was only an orientation--one day of 3 I think. I am so overwhelmed! I hope I can!! Seems like so much to do that I am not sure i can; but if I can find places in that hospital for being On Call I can do anything!

One of the bad things of the day was the very first thing in which we all met with the whole chaplain staff and heard report from the resident chaplains on their weekend "on calls" which were horrendous!! Apparently there aren't many like them but nonetheless it was horribly frightening to us new kids.

The scariest thing we have to do, for me anyway, is videotape a Worship service and then show it and have them critique it. The instructor wants to dwell mostly on the "message" of the thing! Now. I don't have a particularly hard time doing a worship service, though I would prefer a "hands on" approach and mostly singing, but I do have a problem with taping it!! That's horrid!! They call it a Worship Seminar; and we also have to do a "pastoral theology" seminar (again, for our peers and perhaps some of the staff) which I don't even know what is--though i did ask and he answered! Brian, or anyone else for that matter, if you have any suggestions, I would love them!!!

By the time we were done, my head was swimming in jello but I was (am) also excited and had really fun. I am the only woman with 5 men (who seem pretty quiet but who laughed at me anyway). They are all preachers of a sort and don't have a problem with taping!!!! The guy I will be working with from Madisonville is a youth/assistant pastor in the UMC I believe; one is a UCC (United Christian Church) and 2 are Catholic priests (one a lay minister I think) and one, I am not sure. They are really nice though and explain the jargon to me when I can't figure it out. I am afraid I will be their comic relief but not always intentionally. It's OK: I look forward to learning all I can! Father Ignacius (sp??) is a priest from Nigeria who is very hard to understand. He's probably all of 35 and was shocked that I can do stuff on the computer. David is OLD--probably not as old as I am but is Old and very helpful to me. Rob and Mike are both sweet as can be too--young ruffians though. I will enjoy working with them. I will be working with Rob at Madisonville

Jo is one instructor and Chuck and someone else that I don't know are the others. Jo is female too. I don't feel left out but she isn't there always cause she is a supervisor in training. There are 2 other women who are chaplain residents and all the rest are guys.

Oh, and my GPS (yes, I GOT IT!!) got me there just the right way. Took me home a different way than I would have chosen but got me there! It about had a heart attack, however, when I chose to go to Walmart before going home--and then I dared go to Golden Corral after that. I sent "Thomas" home with The Dad so I wouldn't have to hear him having a fit, "Turn around NOW, stupid." Well, no, he didn't really say that!!!

Have a good year: I may not have time to blog forever!