Once again, Thursday is going to come and go without me participating at Poetry Thursday. I've been so distracted by other things--other pursuits and pleasures--that I'd completely forgotten what this week's prompt was. It was to write a poem with dialogue. Honestly, I'm not sure I could do that with loads of prep time, let alone on the fly. I thought about trying to dash off a poem using the random prompt generator...until I realized I'm just not in a poetry mood today. But head on over to PT to check out what poetsphere has given us today.
I've really come to realize in the last week that J's been gone just how much I've been craving QUIET. Don't misunderstand, he's a very quiet and soft-spoken person, often a man of few words. I think I've been craving quiet time to dance to my own rhythms. I can be utterly selfish while he's gone, and I'm reveling in it. I'm also feeling quite out of balance with regard to my 'real' vs. professional life--feeling such pleasure in my own life and such aggravation in my work life--that it makes me want to soak up the sensual pleasures offline even more. So if I haven't been by your blog in awhile, rest assured I'll make it there eventually. I'm just lost right now in my own la-la land of self-nourishment.
And I need to find some real balance re the work situation. Something beyond walking out to the school garden at lunchtime yesterday to clip some roses for my desk to remind me of beauty. My head can get so wrapped up in fighting the fight on that front that finding this Daily Om message in my IN box this morning can only lead to annoyance...
Sometimes we find it difficult to see the good in people, places, or situations that aren't to our liking. We focus on the things we don't like in our lives as a way of fueling our efforts to create change. There is nothing inherently wrong with this, and it is one way we make progress. However, if we get too caught up in this way of looking at the world, we lose touch with our ability to sit back and simply say yes to everything on our plates, which is the true starting point for all successful activity. Sometimes what we really need is to encourage ourselves to look deeply into all things in our lives to see the inherent goodness at the heart of everything.
Well, who the hell wants to do that?! ;) I'm really struggling at work since I find myself in a situation where I feel quite taken advantage of. It's hard for me to not get riled up over the injustice of it, and lord knows, fewer things in life can rile me more than injustice. How does one reach a place of acceptance without being a doormat? If someone has that magical answer, would you please email it to me? STAT! ;)
On a positive note, I'm working with Kids for Kids to see if we can have its founder, Patricia Parker, speak to a group of students at my school in a couple of weeks. It's a wonderful opportunity for the kids to hear about a charity that helps children help other children, specifically the children of Darfur. I hope we can make it happen. And it's only a possibility because they found me through this blog. Just one of the million reasons why I love the blogosphere. Please hold a good thought that we can make it happen.
Soak it up! I love it when L is out of the house...it isn't about not loving her, it is about stretching out and being, yes, selfish. Love it.
As for keeping up with blogging/reading: I've been away for only seven days from the computer and iut is easily becoming habit to NOT use it...my arms certainly feel better!
Posted by: poet with a day job | May 24, 2007 at 02:52 PM
I think it's always nice to get some ME time. And working in a school this time of year is stressful and thankless. I am feeling very burned out.
Posted by: Margaret | May 24, 2007 at 05:08 PM
I don't even remember the last Illustration Friday I did. It makes me frustrated that all this LIFE gets in the way!
Posted by: violetismycolor | May 24, 2007 at 09:44 PM
End of the year school time can be very hard. Everything is condensed and so urgent.
by the way..
How does one become part of the Poetry group you are in?
Nancy
Posted by: Nancy | May 24, 2007 at 10:23 PM
What's that saying about "life is what happens when we're not paying attention" - I think it's a John Lennon quote...which gives it even more importance, considering how young he was...
Keep on taking time to smell the roses, Marilyn, and travel at your own pace. Boy, am I full of platitudes today.
Glad you made the connection to Kids for Kids - hope it all works out for the best for you and them.
How many more days till school's out??? ((hugs))
Posted by: tinker | May 25, 2007 at 12:37 PM