Day 234: Down But Not Out

I am writing this from a dorm room at Bates College in Lewiston, Maine. For my Mommy Summer Camp, which is what I called it to explain to the kids why I would be gone for an entire week, I am in Maine with an impressive and surprising array of scholars, writers and artists studying how children can create positive racial and multilingual identities through picture books.

Along with 28 other teachers, I am being exposed to wonderful, affirming books to build my classroom library (look out for a Donorschoose to come later this summer) and strategies to use with these texts.

Mostly, I am just excited about eating in a dining hall and sleeping on my own bed for a week. It is truly amazing how much brain space I have when I don’t have to worry about feeding myself or my family for an entire week. Or doing dishes. Or running the vacuum cleaner. Or picking up and dropping from summer camp. Or doling out the sunscreen. Or finding the lost googles (and a huge hat tip to Jesse for taking on all of these responsibilities and more this week, because family life indeed continues, I am just absent from it for the time being.)

Also, it is amazing what getting enough rest will do for you. I have gotten to bed before 10 PM for the past three nights, taken naps the past three days (two naps yesterday!) and today I felt so good I didn’t even need a nap!

I have truly found my people here at this conference - specifically, the guy at the dining hall who feeds me delicious gluten-free vegan food without expecting anything in return.

And in having all this luxurious free time, I have started writing again in earnest. Before I left Philadelphia, I was on Day 230 of my challenge, and had written for 192 hours, or 38 hours behind. Four days later, I am on Day 234 and am only 30 hours behind! Not bad. I am reconnecting with my writing, and with myself through writing, and that feels great.

I am hopeful that as I go through the summer I will be able to get through much of the throat clearing stuff and start to write more things I am excited about, and I am hopeful that through the fall I will be able to at least maintain my writing practice daily.

Happily, at least I have discovered that when I do have a bit of time, rest and brain space, I still feel a desire to write.

So, what I really need to feel recharged enough to face another (difficult, I’m sure) year of teaching, energized enough to continue my writing, and inspired enough to keep getting better at both, is time, space and quiet.

And plenty of warm, chamomile tea and gluten-free tahini also wouldn’t hurt.