It's last few hours before it's all over. Yeah, yeah, I know you all feel so bad for me and the rest of us teachers out there who are all getting back to real life after about 9 weeks of summer vacation. Well, while I do agree that summer is a great perk of the job, it is a much needed respite after ten straight months of, well, non-stop craziness, at least for me. Recharging is exactly what the doctor ordered.
I'm not speaking here to extol nor to defend the virtues of working in education, though. As I like to do every so often, I am here tonight to express appreciation and gratitude for my life. Having not worked in the summer for the first time in my teaching career, I had the total pleasure of experiencing life in a myriad of ways this time around, and for that, I am eternally grateful...and proud!
Where do I begin? I had so many pleasurable experiences over the summer that seem too innumerable to list. Dinners with friends, kayaking, parties and bbq's, the
Roller Coaster Road Trip, camping, the beach, deep conversations, Philly, new friends, dancing, Fire Island, and even a semi-steady summer romance are just some of the many pleasures in life I got to enjoy this summer. I am a very lucky person!
Earlier today, and this was not the first time, someone said to me, "look there, the man who's really living life." I always say to this, "Who, me? Nah, it just looks that way on Facebook." Really, though, it is partially true. I live my life as I see it through my own eyes and that's where the proud part comes in. If a friend suggests an activity, I usually jump right in. Taking what comes your way is really a great way to get to experience life, to make memories that will stay with me to the very end. I know so many people who've got hangups, so many who waste their days in front of the television sets or just being 'bored.' To me, that's kind of sad and I could never imagine myself being that way.
My friend Rich is always telling me that I need to say no sometimes. He's right, but not totally. Yes, I've always got more on my plate than I can sometimes handle, and I'm always running against the clock, always in a rush, but once I am at whatever thing I have scheduled with someone, I usually find the enjoyment in it. Even when things go awry on a jaunt, at least I have a great story to tell.
So as I get ready for the first day of school tomorrow, I go into it once again with a fresh mind and happy memories that will carry me to the next summer. No, life is not over (except maybe the sleeping late part, lol). It simply continues through a different means. There are still good times yet to be had, and I intend to make the most of those that come my way.
So to all of my teacher friends out there, I hope that you have all lived a little this summer and appreciated every moment. May the new school year bring out the best in all of us as a result of our blessings. See you all soon!
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