A lot about 2015 hasn’t been all that different from 2014. I guess that’s the circle of life; the more things change, the more they stay the same; all those cliches we use to tell ourselves life is just life and it’s best to find a way to deal.
Nine days in, and I’m squeezing my eyes shut to block out so much bad news, locally, nationally, and globally, peeking out occasionally to read stories about Nazi cows and professional cuddlers.
It’s hard to stave off the panic attacks, is what I’m saying.
But I must try.
Amidst all the crap (and I feel hip-deep in crap many of these nine days), I have to find the not-crap.
Like Tuesday night, when we successfully live-streamed another basketball game. I was so proud of my students, and I had a good time helping them out.
Or the simple pleasure of reading a book (right now I’m reading three, slowly digesting each one instead of my usual binge-read approach).
How about the anxious yet excited feeling from trying something new in my approach to teaching–a sure sign that I’m nowhere near ready to leave the classroom?
And there’s always the never-to-be-taken-for-granted fact that my family is in decent health, is generally happy, and we are all speaking to each other. Not that we usually aren’t–I just know that for some families, that is not the norm.
Throw in the guilty pleasure/hate watching of The Bachelor, the satisfaction from binge-watching an entire series that I love (West Wing, Scrubs, Gilmore Girls…I’m not picky), or getting inspiration from celebrities, and it’s clear I have an arsenal of strategies to ward off the crap.
We’re only nine days in, 2015, but I can’t let you slap me around for the next 356 days. I’ll be finding the not-crap as often as I can, regardless of how much crap you throw at me.
