Time REALLY Does Fly

The "R" word was brought up in a discussion I had last night. Yes, I actually had a conversation about "retirement" and had to pinch myself as it was an out-of-the-body experience! You see, I have only 13 more years until I retire. I know that 13 years is a long time away but the last 13 years have flown by!

Just 13 years ago, I was a 30-year old rookie superintendent in Franklin, Nebraska. I wasn't really sure what to do or how to do it. I spent the first 5-weeks of the job living in the office, literally. I slept on the floor. My family was back in West Point, Nebraska. My job began on July 1st and they didn't move down with me until the first part of August. Taylor and Micah, my daughters, came to visit me one weekend and we made smores on a candle in my office. I had a grill in the parking lot that I cooked on for lunch and supper. It was a crazy summer. "The budget" gave me nightmares!

Fast forward 13 years and it has gone by in the blink of an eye. I can still remember almost every key concept from the 2003-04 school year. My first board meeting as a superintendent....my first "all-staff meeting"....my first upset patron....the list goes on and on and on and it seems like yesterday.

The last 13 years have provided with lots of satisfaction but some bruises as well. It's been great to have been a part of the Franklin Flyer community and school system for six years and now seven years here in York as a Duke. I've made lots of connections that have helped make me a better person. I've seen lots of students mature into great leaders and extremely productive citizens. I've worked with many dedicated teachers and staff members. I've seen the thrills of victories and the agony of defeat. I've been praised. I've been criticized. I've been adored and cussed at. Every day is truly a different adventure. Leadership isn't for the faint of heart.

As I ponder what the next 13 years might bring, it is a bit scary. Social media has been a major change in the last 13 years. What will be next? Each year, more and more gets added to the duties and responsibilities of educators but nothing ever seems to move off the to-do list...how much more can be added? What is the tipping point?

I hope the next 13 years include more ways to involve parents with their child's education. I hope it involves a re-emphasis on work ethic and accountability. I worry that "apathy" is becoming way too common in our great state and country. I hope it involves some "simplifying" as well. I personally want to focus on "quality" over "quantity."

Not so long ago, I was the "young pup" at all the superintendent meetings. Now, I have more gray hair each time I get my hair cut. I used to be the guy that stayed up late and woke up early. Now, I look forward to going to bed at 9:59 as often as possible.

I hope to draw on my experiences of the past 13 years to make the next 13 years even better. I don't know where the next 13 years will take me but I hope they're as rewarding as the last 13 have been!