I wrote the title for this post this morning at 8. After three hours of student interview tests and one conversation with a new teacher, I am returning to it. Yes, I know. You want my life.
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School is nigh upon us! And thank heavens for that! I may be one of the few teachers out there whose life is substantially less busy once the classroom antics ramp up again. Right now it’s all about placing students and troubleshooting issues. There will be some of that next week, but less of it. Much less of it. Then I can settle down into teaching my classes and being a sympathetic listener, dabbling at some administrative projects, and writing a course in fire science English.
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My planned writing time will come back. And how I will welcome it. The outline of my book is pretty complete for the first and last quarter of it, and I just want to sit down and hammer that out. Then yes, I will paste it together with an interesting middle, let it rest like a loaf of bread, and come back to it when it’s risen. I plan to have this book’s rough draft done by the end of the year. I do not plan to have this book done by the end of the year. I think it’s more like I will have this book done by about June of next year. Given what I know of my time and circumstances, that seems reasonable.
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Of course, I thought I would make 200 pounds by the end of the year, and I think that may be out of reach now. I started on thyroid meds this summer, and I’ve gained about 8 pounds without changing my habits substantially. I will see the doctor next week, and see what he advises. I have questions about thyroid and diet anyway. The internet makes one uncertain of any information, you know. But at the time I wrote the 200 pound goal, I was only 10 pounds from it. So, circumstances.
Life is an interesting thing. As I age, I learn that flowing with life seems more wise than thrashing against it when I cannot change the flow of the river. In my youth, when I was taking 19 credits a semester in college to graduate in three years, I would have finished that book this year, by God, or starved myself to make a goal weight (500 calories a day! Woot!) Now? Phhhttt.
But look! My goals have revised, not disappeared, and that’s important too. My philosophy about books is I write until I think it’s ready. I guesstimate that until June is what it’s going to take, this time. And my goal for health is to continue to fight the fight, but figure out what’s getting in the way of doing that and acting upon it. Reaching goals is important, but I stopped living in the future a few years back. I can wait for my flying car. I want to enjoy the journey rather than rushing to goals. I think that’s anti-American, but there it is. Still, setting realistic goals and getting there, that’s a good thing.
As I re-enter the thinking season, the ritual in fall when teachers really feel the year starts anew, I will do what I can to control my destiny and make what I want happen. I hope that you reach your goals and dreams too.
