Irony... or Meant To Be?

Project365 Blog: Day 4 - January 4

Title:  Irony... or Meant to Be?

Commentary:  
That end-of-the-day moment when it's almost time to leave, and you turn the computers off.  The sudden and fairly dramatic silence that occurs at shut-down signals the end of a long day at the office.
I work at a local charter school, and my job this year is to teach online resources/electives.  Normally these would be in the classroom, but this school year is like none other ever in the history of school years.  

It's ironic that I'm here.  Many of you who know me personally know that my wife passed away in August 2016.  She was working very hard toward a degree in Elementary Education, and she carried 21 semester hours through UNCW online in the spring 2016 semester.  Her lifelong ambition was to teach early elementary and she pushed through her studies with everything she had.  

I, myself, was working on a Bachelor's degree in Operational Meteorology (which I finished in 2017).
My close friends know the story so I'll give the abridged version here.  One of my son, Nathan's, educators said "you'd make a good science teacher for middle school kids."  After failing to find work in a highly competitive meteorology job market, I took a job initially substitute teaching, which evolved into a role as a TA, and now to my current role online.  The subjects I teach cover all grades, K-8, but the majority of kids who view my videos are in K-5.  

To my employer, I merely fill a roll.  I'm replaceable in a heartbeat.

To me, it's everything.  

I love working at the school.  I really genuinely love my job.  And I love those kids.
I can't imagine doing anything else and being happy.

My wife was studying her hardest to become a teacher... and teaching was never anything even remotely seen on this meteorologist's radar screen.

Now I'm the one teaching at a school.  Irony.  ...or meant to be?