Ready

I'd written a while ago about questioning my involvement with MSUSA. As if fighting for funding at both the state and federal level isn't enough, we've created endless internal battles that constantly require attention. How I would love for this all to be gone...for the seven campuses to come together, compromise, and leave with a common vision we were all willing to work for. Unfortunately, life doesn't work that way, and I'm realizing that I need to look at the organization like I will look at my students. I will take them where they are and work with them not because they are perfect, but because I believe in their potential. MSUSA is experiencing a lot of growing pains right now and it is not perfect, but I believe in its potential. This conference will be better than the last two. I will not allow myself to get caught up in the drama - I will focus on the big picture of what we are doing for the students of Minnesota, and ignore the rest.
There's always something comforting about these weekends - about being with people who share my passion for advocacy - who understand what's going on at the legislature and how we have an influence on that. Many of my closest friends are no longer involved in Senate, and I enjoy that - it allows me to have time off. They rarely ask how it's going, which allows me to leave my work at the office. It's something I didn't do last year, and it's saved me this year. But every once in a while it's fun to hang out with people who live and breathe the same things I do - the stress, the deadlines...the pressure of running an organization, the balance of student and administrator. I'm ready to hang out with my boys (they hate it when I call them that...)
It's gonna be a good weekend...I can feel it.