Journal entry for MdS 3001W

1. This week's journal assignment asks you to write an autobiographical story.  In 3-4 paragraphs, reflect and write about a time when you were in transition. Write about the change that you experienced and your emotional response to it.  Try to break it down into stages if you can. Use Bridges's three stage model and reflect back on what you did.  Use the following questions to guide your writing.
   

1. What was the change that you experienced?
2. What emotions did you experience through the change? Did any of them surprise you?
3. Did you allow yourself time to experience the transition? 
4. If you took your time with it, what did you do to slow yourself down?
5. What did you do for self-care?
6. Did you take action and how so? How did it go? Was is positive or negative in the end?
7. Did you understand your discomfort at the time?
8. Did you see the positive side of things?
9. Did you isolate yourself or rely on others?
10. Did something good come of it? Did new learning emerge from old, disintegrated life?
    

  I am currently at a major transitional point in my life. In the past two years of work life I was elected to be president of my local union branch, selected for an exclusive leadership training program through the union where then stood out as a top performer, decided to quit the post office, and returned to working at Al's breakfast. In the past two years, my wife started two jobs, quickly quit one and slowly quit the other, we slowly argued more and more, then we separated and are now going through a divorce. I went from seeing my kids every day to sometimes not for months. I moved out of my house and still held onto hope of moving back in when it was severely damaged in a flood. I returned to Minneapolis and the U of M, and have changed addresses five times in seven months. My mother-in-law, who I was very close to, died under somewhat questionable circumstances.
  I've experienced a broad range of emotions during this time. None of them has surprised me much, except for how long feelings that seem like they should be gone linger. I have surprised myself at my ability to experience and express such strong and varied emotions pretty healthily (I think!) I have tried to allow myself to experience the transition, but outside forces are continually impeding. I need to work to make money, and school takes a lot of time. It's hard to say “no” when an old friend you haven't seen in years wants to take you out, just because you have homework due in two days or really should take a nap and a bath.
  I have been taking a lot of action, as noted above perhaps more than I should. I think it will be positive in the end, although I need to make sure not to get to settled on a path before I've had sufficient time to explore options. Through this process I have not felt a lot of discomfort. I have always been more comfortable than most with change, chaos, ambiguity, etc. I have really learned through this time to appreciate that ability and use it to understand how it can help me during times like these and more tranquil times. I have done pretty well at seeing the positive side of things, or at least at the cessation of negative things. I am still moving into the “beginnings” phase and defining what the next phase of my life will be, but I feel positive about the options and opportunities I have.
  More than usual I have relied on others. This has probably been the area where I have had to work the hardest. I usually like to work things out for myself, and to be the one that helps others. At this time, even I have needed to reach out to others for a lot of support. Making that reach, and the generosity that has met nearly every request, have been the most rewarding part of my experience so far.