I've got notes on my phone that are vague and I don't know what they mean. I think they are various websites and things to research for classes.
I had a good day because I took all my breaks and walked home in the rain and had snack and coffee and tea and cigarettes. And because I did some calming tasks in between helping kids like my coloring page and cutting out some pictures which helped me to de-stress and not pressure them to do work but just to be ready to help them when they needed it. I also remembered to do some deep breathing when I reminded a student how to do some calming techniques. And I got to have some unexpected reading time with the student I have been reading with and she didn't want to read today so I read and she listened, which I enjoy of course, and we read a story about a little boy in Mexico who loved a horse so much that he made a clay sculpture of her and other adventures. I definitely wish we could incorporate a few minutes of stretching and mindfulness meditation to help students (and us) on a regular basis to feel comfortable in their bodies and confident in their minds.
I took almost a four-hour nap when I got home. I needed it after attending play practice and hanging up positivity notes in the girl's bathrooms I was at school until six and then we went back for the band concert at seven and then I went to Plaid and got a pretty good pinot that I ended up drinking all of. So I didn't go to sleep until after midnight when I'd been getting to bed closer to ten recently.
It's been a very cold and rainy day. All day. We also read the book that I love very much called Rainy Sunday by Eleanor Schick. The Horse and the Boy book also had a torrential rain scene in it, which was cool. I looked up the author today and discovered that the author attended Julliard school of dance and was also a dance teacher We tried to look up the other author and could only find one other title listed for her about a twirly skirt... Eleanor Schick kind of my dream life, if I had had the understanding to know how to follow my dreams and not crush them before I even tried. I would like to read more about her life. I also really admire Zilpha Keatley Snyder and Beverly Cleary and Ellen Raskin. It's cool that Raskin wrote The Westing Game and Keatley Snyder wrote The Egypt Game. And I love that they use their real names unlike (*ahem) Rowling, who did the thing where you use initials so people think you may be a man. Ergh!! It's fucked up, isn't it? Because more people have heard of her and she made millions more dollars. Meh. No matter. I want to emulate my idols and learn from those I love and respect and admire.
If I could be writers like them I would be the happiest person in the world! A lot of authors of kids' books are also teachers so I am on the right path so far, even though it wasn't specifically planned beforehand. It is still something I am learning how to do: be more confident and do my best which is damn good enough, and also resurrect my dreams of dancing and music and art and writing. And honor my mom and dad by following through with it. Be dedicated to taking baby steps every day.
There have been more mass shootings in the past couple of weeks in the United States, in Texas and California. The lack of gun control and the pervasive easy acquisition of firearms is reprehensible and a constant mental disturbance upsetting the possibility of Peace via our collective subconscious.
I saw an old note I had from an interview with Narduwar where he mentioned the Association for Research and Enlightenment (A.R.E.) which I finally looked up tonight, and it seems like something I would really like a lot. It sounds like The Tao of Pooh too. They are in Virginia and that, I discovered, being the geographically challenged person that I am, is south of the state of Ohio, where Uncle Gene lives! Peace be unto you.
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