An Update

I know that I have not posted anything on my blog for quite a while. In fact, it has been a month since my last entry. For those who do really enjoy reading my posts, I do apologize for not sharing anything until now. I have been extremely busy these last few months.

For over a year now, I have been working on an on-line course for the Army. It is a self-directed course that I have to do to keep my E6. I have been working on it, during my free time, for over a year, and still working on it. There is a lot to it, unfortunately….

Along with that course, I am also doing an ADSO (Additional Duty Safety Officer) course. It is the ‘course that never ends!’ (Think: “This is the Song that Never Ends!”). Although I have spent several weeks of time (spread out over several months), I am only in ‘the 5th section’ of at least 6. Unfortunately, because it is several ‘lessons’ within the same ‘section,’ the course does not show exactly how much I have done, or how much more I have to do. And, each ‘lesson’ has at least 6 sub-lessons. Each of these sub-lessons take several hours to do. Very, very time consuming!

On top of those two courses, I have my weekly Bible Study, take care of and do things with my family, and all of that upon my regular work at the prison. It has been extremely draining for me trying to stay on top of all of this, as I am sure that you can guess. In fact, it has been so difficult for me to juggle all of this, I took a month-long break from doing my Bible Study so that I might be able to focus better on the on-line courses. It has worked somewhat, but I still haven’t finished them.

Unfortunately, I have also been fighting more and more with my lower back pain and the arthritis in my knees. This has made working very difficult at times. And, all of this adds to my stress.

Although I am very good at my job with State Corrections, it is not a job that I get a lot out of most days. For those who don’t know, working in corrections can be very stressful and very draining. This is especially so in a maximin security institution, like what I work in. Not only do I have to be very cognizant of all that is happening around me, but also around my co-workers. On top of that, I have to deal with very manipulative people (not all Inmates are manipulative, but many are). And, doing that for 12 hours a day….

I know that many of you out there face more difficulties on a daily basis than I do. Just as many of you would have a very difficult time fathoming all that I deal with. Each of us have our own unique set of experiences and perspectives. Each of us have our own cultural backgrounds that can either help or hinder how one deals with things. It’s things like that which make each of us unique. Although, these backgrounds can either make it easier or more difficult to relate with others.

Going forward, I really do not know how much time I will have for doing posts. It has been extremely challenging for me to get things done. Then again… Writing and doing art are two of my favorite ways to relax, introvert, and recharge. Reading would be a close second to these two. So, maybe I will try harder to write one or two posts per week. Maybe…

Now, if there are things that you are interested in discussing, please let me know. Did you have problems understanding something that I did a post on? If so, please ask me. Or, if one of my posts has touched your life in a meaningful way, I would love to know that, too. Even though this blog is primarily a creative outlet for me, I would also really like to better get to know my audience, too.