Why The Withdrawal From Social Media?

People that interact with me regularly on Social Media have asked, "Where have you been, and are you doing okay?" To answer, I've been working from home and I have been reading a lot more and outside since the weather is nice and my doctor has me on a kickass allergy regimen. I'm just dandy and not one sandwich has been thrown at me while riding my bicycle in traffic and I have not been doored. 

I don't have a ton of followers or close friends on SM. If I had to put a number on it, 25 are friends in real life, and about half of them wondered what my deal was. I was possibly a hermit crab in a previous life. I'm not much for socializing to begin with and Social Media had the appeal of interacting as much as I wanted to and not worrying about the physical anxiety that comes with the physical presence of other people.

So far I've experienced a few temporary bans and holds on my accounts due to bots and targeted reporting of my posts. I don't have the anonymity that others have with their accounts. I use bits of my actual name because I have nothing to hide, seriously. Some have gone so far as to accuse me of being a bot. As much as I wish I had robotic legs (since both of my knees hate me and the stairs I climb regularly) I am very much human. Social Media is almost as exhausting as being around actual people in real life, almost.

So nothing salacious or viral happened, I'm just doing something I would normally do in real life which is to stand in the corner and observe (judge). Next week I'll tell you about some things I've learned about myself since I began talking to a licensed therapist. I really hope you are well.

BC

Bringing Back Writing Wednesday

Hey, long time no write. I tried the social media thing, and I've come to the conclusion that it is just not for me. I enjoy it enough to share a smile, catch a laugh, or hold people accountable, but it's not the place for me to share what I really want to share. The short attention span or short format is just not who I am. I need to ramble, but I want to give the reader the option to continue reading or just skip forward. So back to Writing Wednesdays for me. If you're down with that, read on.

Today's subject, my new class, Strategy of Games.
This Spring Semester we continued with full remote online learning. I introduced a special topic for the Physical Education Department. My thought for this class was to get the students to do some introspection on their decision making processes. I only got half the semester to work with them, but in that half we explored risk management, outcome analysis, probability, and put it all together in a practical way using games like checkers, connect four, Among Us, dissecting heist movies like Foolproof, and actual robberies and crimes.

After reading some of their feedback and comments, I'm happy to share they enjoyed the course. The most common comment was some form of, "I wish someone had walked me through this sooner." That struck a nerve with me. As a volleyball coach, this is partly how I train self-sufficient young adults for volleyball and the things that come after. They don't realize it, but I've been teaching strategic thinking the entire time they have been with me. For those athletes that jump to coaching, it's immediately apparent. For others, it was a gradual shift in their thinking and their decision making process. Some of them call it impulse control. It felt really good to help students flex their brains and learn something new about themselves.

If you have questions or want to see an outline and lesson plans for this class, please let me know. I would be happy to help you adapt this coursework for an entire semester or High School students.

Creative Cramp

I don't really have much to say. Anything that I write in my personal journal is abstract, dark, and not worth sharing with you. I have no good stories to tell and no witty remarks for the disaster we're all living with at the moment. Anything that I draw or design is just ink on paper at the moment because I'm hunkered down at home and only leave for groceries about every 12-14 days. It's not bad or good, it's just how it is. 

The tragedy here is we've been spun. We're still spinning. I find comfort in the routine of my work from home day, but I fear for my neighbors and friends. Some still go to work, and some worry how long they keep their jobs. I worry about my own job. Am I valuable enough to keep around? Is my mind going to atrophy from the lack of problems to solve and things to fix? 

I thought maybe by posting in my irregularly scheduled blog, something would click and break me out of this mental funk. I don't know if it will and right now, it's not really important. What's important is that I stay home, and to my part to reduce the risk of exposure to myself and other people. The Happy Tinkerer is temporarily, the Mildly Amused Tinkerer for now. Cheers.

Ch, Ch, Ch, Ch, Changes

My job search advice:

1. Never give up, keep applying.

2. Talk to your mentors and references before, during, after the process. Stay in touch with them even if it's just a random "hello" note.

3. You're going to fail, see number one.

4. Your mileage may vary.

5. Consider options outside of your intended goal. It may help you focus or help drive you harder in your initial pursuit.

When you feel like no one is going to call or respond. Apply for one more job then take a break. Even if it's just 2 or 3 hours. I took a break for 5 days. In those 5 days, I rewrote my cover letter, and took a personal inventory on why I wanted a new job. I looked at some of the questions I had been asked in past interviews and saw some excellent Men's NCAA volleyball in Long Beach. I talked to colleagues I hadn't seen in a long time and being around the thing I loved most reaffirmed that I was ready to make a move. 

Fast forward a month later, I have calls on top of calls, and interviews for my chosen work as a coach, and back up work in healthcare and IT support. I put some of those IT and healthcare jobs on the back burner and asked for their hiring timeframe. It worked for me, so I kept chugging along and it paid off. I'm in Winston Salem, NC working at Salem College as the Head Volleyball Coach and enjoying every minute of it.

It happened quickly. I was offered a job during a volleyball camp and I asked for a day or two to think on it. I needed some time to compare salaries, cost of living, and challenges of each program. I love solving problems and chose the most difficult (I think) of the jobs that were offered to me. I knew I had an AD that was going to allow me the time I needed to change the team culture and recruit the athletes I needed to sustain those changes. I doubled down, found a place to live, sold my stuff, packed up my compact car, and made the move over the course of 2 weeks. I had been preparing for a move for three months prior. Now I finally had a date set.

The season began soon after my move and today, I'm still living out of boxes although I know which box contains toothpicks. It's been a trial by fire, and I've made some mistakes and learned a lot about myself, my team, and my colleagues.  We are now into the homestretch of the season and I can confidently say that this is where I'm supposed to be. Home.

Where did fun Bou go?

If you follow me on Twitter or Facebook, you may have noticed an uptick in my political expression of opinion. I'm not going to apologize for it so if you don't like it, please unfollow, block, or unfriend me. I won't be mad.

I'm still fun. I still like to read, watch movies, and make jokes. I still enjoy snowshoeing, cycling, orienteering, paddling, and petting other people's critters. What changed?

I moved to a red state, Ohio. I spend a lot of my time writing and calling my reps. What's different is that none of them seem to listen. Huge change from living in NY and PA. Even though in the past I may have disagreed, those folks in NY and PA would at least acknowledge there is a difference of opinion and thanked my for expressing my opinion. In Ohio, with the exception of Sherrod Brown I get crickets.

Politics and religion used to be topics that I didn't address out loud. I would vote, I would contact my reps, but I wouldn't encourage others to do the same. That was the problem. I was engaged, but I didn't bring anyone else along for the ride. And now of course we're all inundated with political chatter and it seems like overload, but please trust me, staying informed is the only way we're going to survive. I don't post my political opinion on social media to change your mind. I do it because it is normal to have an opinion. It is normal to express your opinion. Political opinions are no different from opinions on sports, television, or anything else.

Look, I still enjoy a good laugh with good people. But I won't stop amplifying the voices of people that need to be heard even if it seems that I've stopped having fun. I'm still coaching volleyball and I'm still having fun.

Season in Review

August, September, October, and November came and went and I feel like those four months only lasted four hours. We said goodbye to nine seniors (not my doing). They buoyed our team all season as best as they could. They showed up when it mattered. We lost to Denison in the regular season with such a poor showing it made me question if I was good enough to be their coach. They roared back on Senior night to beat Case Western in five sets and avenge that loss to Denison in the North Coast Athletic Conference opening round. I don't know when the last time Wooster won the opening round of a Conference playoff game, but it would be the first and only for the departing senior class. They worked hard for it. I'm happy it paid off.

I turned 40 this year. It feels the same as every year. I've got a few more gray hairs than I had last year, but other than that, I'm still healthy and snarky. I find my mind wandering a bit more as I plan my next move. I've been looking seriously at head coaching jobs. It's just that time. I'm ready to lead a program of my own and make new memories in a different place. I don't think there's much more I'm going to be able to accomplish here at Wooster. There's nothing wrong with that. I just feel it's time for me to move on and make my mark on a program of my own.

There are so many good people in our sport that work hard and give their best everyday. I hope I get the chance to meet at least half of these people and make an impact on a few more. Convention is coming up soon and maybe I'll be able to make some good impressions and reconnect with people I haven't seen or spoken to since August. I hope I see you there. I'll hit this up after the New Year with a highlight reel and possibly job news.

Cheers friends.

July in Reveiw

June, July are the only full months I get to step away from the office. I get a break here and there throughout the year, but to get 2 months back to back for me time is great. What do I do with this time? I visit family, I reconnect with friends, and I recharge my batteries.

I went on a few day hikes and night walks with my camera. I also found the time to finish a few books that I had been snacking on. Most of these months were spent in a chair staring at the sky thinking about my future as a coach and what 40 will bring. I finished my editing project from my trip to Vietnam with BIP. Now I can work on highlight film for the entire trip.

I've been looking at finding a place where I can live on a houseboat or off grid and still coach volleyball for a living. We'll see how that goes. August is for Preseason. I will try to write again when classes begin. Until then. Peace.