Tonight's Poet Corner: Introspection
All right, lovelies. It's official. I will not be returning to my high school campus for the rest of the school year.
It's weird, for lack of a better word. It's just weird. Discombobulating? Disorienting? Guess I had more words than I thought. Anyway, today, I drove up to the high school I work at and picked up a few things. Being in my classroom for the first time in three weeks...it definitely made me feel a wee bit sentimental, I'll tell you that right now. No amount of work I do online for my students is going to compensate for being physically present for kids who really need said presence.
I'm trying very hard to stay confident that, ultimately, my fellow citizens will be wise enough to take this pandemic seriously. Arden and I don't walk much beyond our neighborhood these days. We've been spending more time on the patio if we go outside. I'm not exactly working on large creative projects because I'm still trying to settle into the new normal. Not seeing my parents or brother. Not being able to see my sister and brother-in-law, who had to cancel their flight to California. Not seeing...really anybody. It's jarring. Video calls only help so much, people.
I want to do the very best I can in my profession and in my craft. This is just super uncharted territory for me. I mean, I know Shakespeare wrote three of his tragedies in quarantine. The Spanish influenza was a thing. I guess I always forget that history isn't static - it's constantly fluctuating. Like a line graph having a seizure or something.
My sister and I have been organizing play readings on Zoom, and tonight, we read the Scottish play. I got to wear a kilt, wield some swords I own (Yep, I'm a collector), and have my wife draw some sick facial hair on me using mascara. It was a lot of fun, and this kind of connection to both people and the arts is exactly what I need to survive. I'm honestly shocked that I haven't had any anxiety attacks: I mean, sure, I worry about things and loathe the disgusting government and orange maggot "president" we have, but I'm still able to cope for the most part.
I just want to make sure I'm there for my students. I am so, so fortunate to still be teaching and still be receiving a paycheck. That's huge for me. But I hate the fact that so many of the teenagers I work for are suffering. Outlets to support them are so limited now, but I guess I just have to do the best I can.
And I think that's all we can do in this time of uncertainty and crisis: We need to do the best we can. Not just for each other, but also for ourselves. Wear a bedazzled cloth covering when you grab groceries. Be mindful of physical distancing. Don't be a dicknozzle by hanging out at a crowded beach for spring break. The only way we cope with this is by bracing for the worst.
I am here for anyone who needs a shoulder or a voice to help them. It's the very least I can do during these times.
Spring break starts Monday, and thank goodness for that. I need it. Desperately.
Rest and take care of yourselves.
Have a great night and a great weekend, everyone.
It's weird, for lack of a better word. It's just weird. Discombobulating? Disorienting? Guess I had more words than I thought. Anyway, today, I drove up to the high school I work at and picked up a few things. Being in my classroom for the first time in three weeks...it definitely made me feel a wee bit sentimental, I'll tell you that right now. No amount of work I do online for my students is going to compensate for being physically present for kids who really need said presence.
I'm trying very hard to stay confident that, ultimately, my fellow citizens will be wise enough to take this pandemic seriously. Arden and I don't walk much beyond our neighborhood these days. We've been spending more time on the patio if we go outside. I'm not exactly working on large creative projects because I'm still trying to settle into the new normal. Not seeing my parents or brother. Not being able to see my sister and brother-in-law, who had to cancel their flight to California. Not seeing...really anybody. It's jarring. Video calls only help so much, people.
I want to do the very best I can in my profession and in my craft. This is just super uncharted territory for me. I mean, I know Shakespeare wrote three of his tragedies in quarantine. The Spanish influenza was a thing. I guess I always forget that history isn't static - it's constantly fluctuating. Like a line graph having a seizure or something.
My sister and I have been organizing play readings on Zoom, and tonight, we read the Scottish play. I got to wear a kilt, wield some swords I own (Yep, I'm a collector), and have my wife draw some sick facial hair on me using mascara. It was a lot of fun, and this kind of connection to both people and the arts is exactly what I need to survive. I'm honestly shocked that I haven't had any anxiety attacks: I mean, sure, I worry about things and loathe the disgusting government and orange maggot "president" we have, but I'm still able to cope for the most part.
I just want to make sure I'm there for my students. I am so, so fortunate to still be teaching and still be receiving a paycheck. That's huge for me. But I hate the fact that so many of the teenagers I work for are suffering. Outlets to support them are so limited now, but I guess I just have to do the best I can.
And I think that's all we can do in this time of uncertainty and crisis: We need to do the best we can. Not just for each other, but also for ourselves. Wear a bedazzled cloth covering when you grab groceries. Be mindful of physical distancing. Don't be a dicknozzle by hanging out at a crowded beach for spring break. The only way we cope with this is by bracing for the worst.
I am here for anyone who needs a shoulder or a voice to help them. It's the very least I can do during these times.
Spring break starts Monday, and thank goodness for that. I need it. Desperately.
Rest and take care of yourselves.
Have a great night and a great weekend, everyone.
Comments
Post a Comment