Whither Goest Thou?

That's a question I've been asking myself a lot lately, with a touch of sadness. Just a few weeks ago I was thrilled to place my order for Tammy Lenski's new book, Making Mediation You Day Job. It was exactly the kind of book I'd been hoping to find, a guide that would help lift me from my current state of mediation inertia. However, I've only glanced through it and for the time being have reluctantly set it aside. I know it will be a great source of ideas and inspiration when the time is right, but it seems to me that the time is not right, and I will have to focus on more practical ways of earning a living. Without making a substantial commitment in time and money, there is no way I will build a practice that will support my family. Instead, I will fall back on how I've earned a living for much of my adult life- as a teacher.

This is not a bad thing; I love teaching. I have programs lined up through until the fall, and therefore have little time left over to invest in mediating. I will of course continue to volunteer my services in the Adult Justice Committee, and still find this is an excellent learning experience, and in most cases, very satisfying. I enjoy the extra training our team of volunteers receives for this pilot program, most recently a two day workshop on Multicultural Competence in Mediation Training, put on by Conflict Mediation Services of Downsview. I enjoy very much working with co-mediators, comparing styles, planning how to approach new cases, etc. I also plan to attend as many workshops put on by the ADR Institute, such as the upcoming session on Restorative Justice. In short, I am not giving up on Mediation, I am only postponing any immediate hopes of mediating for a living.

I have no idea what I'll be writing a year from now, but I'm optimistic there will be clear signs of progress and further growth, as a person, as a mediator, and as a professional. Stay tuned...