Katie Woodling, M.Ed

So part of the reason I was slacking in the spring, was because I was busy finishing up a little project, Grad School. But on May 15, 2010, I made it!

Katie's Paducah Sojourn

So, I've been a slacker lately...my apologies. I have no other excuse than general laziness. But I wanted to take a moment to discuss my trip back to Paducah, KY...my hometown. I was born there on Thanksgiving Day 1980. Although I left when I was 10, piece of me is always there and will always be there.



I just so happened to be lucky enough to visit during the Nation Quilting Expo (for those of you who may not know, Paducah is home of the National Quilting Museum and is know by Quilters near and far as "Quilt City USA".






I also mad a stop by one of my favorite hole in the walls in the world, Starne's BBQ. It hasn't changed a bit since I was a kid and I love it. The menu is very simple: pulled meat sandwiches, RC, and Tom's chips.




Also, while I was there, I sat on of my favorite riverbanks...where the Ohio meets the Tennessee. I spent so much of my childhood there. Playing, eating ice cream with my family, and enjoying the annual summer festival. And as faith would have it, I just so happened to unknowingly sit on a bench there that was dedicated to the memory of my late neighbors.





And there was even something new there: A WINERY! I thought I had died and gone to Heaven, but Donnie Wahlberg wasn't there with me. But I did enjoy some good wines and even bought a case to bring back!








And while I was there, I took a ride through my old neighborhood to see my grandparents house and the house that built me. Going there brings back many bittersweet memories. I love going back to visit and every time I'm there, I can't help but wonder what life would have been like had I never left....

Going "Home"

We all have things that are a special piece of our lives. Something that we carry close to our hearts. Many times these are things that mean so much to us and we love so much, that others just can't comprehend it. For me, it's Kentucky Basketball. As far back as my memory reaches, I have loved KY basketball. It really wasn't an option in my house. You loved them...end of story. I remember watching the games as a little girl and even dressing up as the KY Wildcat one year for Halloween. I remember the heartbreak in '92 and the return to greatness in '96. No matter where my life goes, I will always bleed blue.

Although I love where my life journey has taken me, I still get homesick for the Bluegrass State. I long to be where basketball is life, and the other sports are just details in the fall. I miss the excitement that came with March and how our teachers would let us watch KY play, rather than doing work on that day. I love taking part in that "GO BIG BLUE" cheer as the boys enter the stage. I miss it all.

But this weekend is a homecoming of sorts for me. My boys are playing in New Orleans in the tournament and I have tickets. I can't wait. I don't think my friends quite get why I'm so excited. But the thing is, I can't just get in the car and drive back to the Bluegrass, but I can go to NOLA to cheer on the boys with a few thousand of my closet friends. Who says you can't go home?

I will always be a part of KY and they will always be a part of me!

But for those of you who might not understand, this song says it all:

The Carnival: A Metaphor for Life....

I never imagined that I would be on the verge of 30 and being a real live grown up. But here I am. And like most people, I often had to hear my parents give that classic lecture "you'll be an adult someday and understand". And like most people, I rolled my eyes and said it wouldn't happen to me. But here I am. I GET IT!

I feel like I'm at a crossroads in my life. I'm 29, single, have a career, completing my Master's, and not a clue about what I want to do with the rest of my life. And like most people out there, I often compare my life to that of others. What they have done, where they have been, how they live. When in reality, no of us have any clue as to what internal struggles that others face. For all we know, they could look at our lives with envy. However, it doesn't change the fact that I'm having my own internal struggle with what it is I want to do with my life. I thought by now, it would all be laid out. But the fact of the matter is that I'm just as lost as I was as a little girl.



However, it occurred to me the other day, that a day that the carnival is a perfect metaphor for live. It is filled with fun and adventure. Some of the rides are fast and fun. Others are slow and relaxing. Sometimes, they even scare you. It is always filled with food that is not good for you and things on a stick that you try just for fun.

The people at the carnival also play a very important role. It is always filled with such a variety and mixture. There are people that go with a group of friends just to have a good time. There are people that are there for the adventure. Families come to create memories that will last a lifetime. Sometimes people are afraid of the rides, and sometimes they try something they never thought they would. Others stick to the ones they know are safe.

I realized, that I'm going to enjoy the adventure of the carnival. I'm going to try all the rides and get one the ones that I think are going to scare me. After all, trying new things that can scare you are just part of the fun.

In addition, I recently compared my life to looking into Pandora's Box. I just never seem to know what's going to pop out. But someone reminded me, there's always hope at the bottom of the box. That's what I needed to hear today.

You never know where you're going to find hope. After all, I ran into it the middle of Times Square once.

You live. You learn.

As I slowly make my exit from 20s and approach the 30s on ramp, I realize that there are a ton of ignorant people out there. On being Kansas state delegate Bob Marshall of Kansas. Who had the nerve to say that parents who give birth to children with disabilities are being punished by God because they had abortions. Seriously?

I have spent the past seven years and have dedicated my career to working with children with special needs and their families. Children with special needs are no punishment at all. In fact, I think that they are Gifts from God sent to us from Heaven. They teach us so much more about life than we could ever teach them. They teach us that the littlest things can equal the greatest of accomplishments. They teach us that you can be presented with the greatest adversities that life has to offer, over come them, and achieve beyond any means that we could have ever imagined in our own lives. Their families are presented with challenges that the average person would not dare to take on themselves. They take on this challenge without being asked.

And who does Bob Marshall think he is? Whom or what gives him the right to pass judgement as to why someone has a child with a disability? The schools in Kansas must have failed him. Most disabilities can be scientifically linked to a gene or a chromosomal abnormality (or is that reserved only to those of us that believe that science exist?).



http://www.newsleader.com/article/20100222/NEWS01/2220318

Me and Mr. Wiggins

This past weekend I got the opportunity to go see my Kentucky Wildcats play. It was awesome. It's hard to explain the passion that the Big Blue Nation has for its team. They're die hard, life long fans. They love their boys win or loose. They sell out every game. Their fans show up and hour and a half early for the games to see that warm ups. I was in Heaven at the game. Sitting with my fellow Big Blue Nation Followers chanting "Go Big Blue!".

While we were there early, we saw an gentleman by the name of Mr. Wiggins. He's truly a life long Wildcat fan. He has been to nearly 700 games in a row. Both home and away. I had to introduce myself to him, because someone who is that dedicated is just as much of the team as the players. I hope that one day I have the same passion as Mr. Wiggins.

Being 20 something...and trying to figure it all out.

Theres's a lot to be said for being in your 20s. And early 20s hardly compares to late 20s...I mean, how can they? When I was in my early, early 20s, my biggest worry was getting to class on time, meeting the girls for lunch, and keeping up on the latest drink specials. And now, I worry about bills, family, grad school, and figuring out what it is I want to do with the rest of my life. I mean, I kinda have an idea, but no real plans. I know that I want to work with children with special needs and truly make an impact on their lives. But other than that, I'm clueless. But, like the quote says, "We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned so as to accept the life that is waiting for us". My life may not be where I though it would be, but maybe that's a good thing. At one point in time I wanted to marry Kirk Cameron, and look at that crazy bastard now.