so today i’m taking a class called “influencing others: the leader’s tool kit.” the bad news is that it’s yet another leadership class, as if i haven’t experienced enough of those already. the good news is that the woman teaching is enthusiastic and funny, and thus keeps my attention. so far this morning, we’ve assessed our listening skills and i’ve learned that i am best at appreciative listening (meaning that i listen best when i am being entertained or inspired) and worst at empathic listening (meaning maybe i’m not the best person to come to when you just want to vent). hmm. i probably could have predicted those. despite the fact that i always try to be a better empathic listener, i never seem to have much success. i always want to fix things, instead of just being a shoulder to lean on.
i’m a little sore from the rock gym last night, but not too bad. i was having sort of an “off” night. i wasn’t able to do as much as i did last wednesday; i just didn’t feel as good or as balanced, somehow. my new chalk bag worked ok though, and after last night i am seriously considering buying my own pair of climbing shoes, despite their price (between $80 and $140). the rock gym shoes never fit me quite right; in order to get the right length and avoid painfully compressing my toe, i end up with shoes that are too wide, and i can’t lace them up tight enough to prevent the foam pieces from working their way in. what i really need is a shoe designed for women; despite their hugeness (size 11), my feet are narrow like most women’s feet are. thus, men’s shoes never fit me as well as i’d like. we’ll see. i tried on a pair of climbing shoes at rei on saturday. they were $137 at the store, i found them for $95 online. sheesh.
i recruited buzz for my women’s soccer team, and am quite excited about that. she’s pumped to play, and even if she sucked (which she doesn’t), she’d be a great addition simply because i know we can count on her to show up at each and every game!
after climbing we sauntered over to waffle house, where conversation ensued that made me want to clarify things in my life. weirdness.
