Foamy toes

Audri and I drove back from the Mid-South Educational Research Association's conference. I ended up driving most of the way as she wasn't feeling well. I had a few hiccups on our way there as we were driving a rental car with automatic transmission, something I never do. Almost drove into a petrol station building as "reverse" was not where I expected it to be - "drive" was...

So, about the conference. I was astounded by how much I felt at home (it was my first time ever to be at a conference that didn't deal with the built environment). Whenever I go to these things, I try to pick a session with at least one talk on some subject completely new to me. I don't come out of these things an expert, but at least I know a little bit more about the world. This time, hard as I tried, I couldn't find anything COMPLETELY new to me there. Sure, the details were new, but I had a firm hold on my new reality. It was surprisingly comforting.

One of my profs came to my presentation. She gave me a glowing review:  good slides (not too much text), good delivery of information, she could follow my thinking, and I convinced her my/our hypothesis makes sense. My favorite thing she said: "you had a firm command of the room". It was a 10 minute presentation, not exactly a Nobel Prize lecture, but it was the first time anyone gave me a technical critique on a conference presentation I did...

I (was) volunteered (by my profs) to be the graduate student representative on the organization's board. Sure, no problem. I also joined the program committee for next year, and offered to serve as a presider (read: the session time keeper). Sure, no problem. It just fits. Just like that time I was the class president. And again. And then the student body president. And then served on one board of directors, then on another...

I am still figuring it all out today: how can it be, that after spending 25 years in a vastly different and unrelated field, I can show up in educational psychology, and 3 years later feel like this is my game. Not that I am complaining mind you; it feels good to know I actually have a grasp on my current reality. With design, I always felt a bit like a kid on the beach, trying to hold on to a fistful of sand by squeezing it tight. The tighter you squeeze, the more sand you lose. I loved the history, the theory, but was really shaky in the technical aspects of the professions. And you really shouldn't be shaky in the technical aspects of THESE particular professions; people can get hurt. On the other hand, there are no emergencies in Educational Psychology... :-) Though it is nice to get the science behind the research and analysis right.

And the toes on the top? New bubble gun from Nona. And the song? Well, it friggin' rained all day, and I really wanted to ride a bike or something after sitting still for 4 days in a row.

I can't stand the rain.

Going roller-skating with LM tomorrow, rain or shine.