Amid the tumultuous changes in Washington and her sudden job promotion, Oakland’s new interim schools superintendent, Devin Dillon, emailed the “Oakland Community” on her first day to describe “how jarring transition typically is.”

One example, she wrote: her experience after spending a month at a silent meditation retreat.

“Leaving the retreat center, I pulled up to a stoplight and saw a homeless man standing on the corner,” Dillon said. “I remember seeing him in a way that shook my entire core. I could feel his pain, his hunger, his desperation. Transition is like that … it heightens your senses and opens you up to fear and potential at the same time.”

So take a deep breath — and embrace the change.

San Francisco Chronicle columnists Phillip Matier and Andrew Ross appear Sundays, Mondays and Wednesdays. Matier can be seen on the KPIX TV morning and evening news. He can also be heard on KCBS radio Monday through Friday at 7:50 a.m. and 5:50 p.m. Got a tip? Call (415) 777-8815, or email matierandross@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @matierandross