Another week gone from summer vacation. The days are going too fast; I have three days next week where I have to go up to WHS for some training. Changes to the program I teach for the fourth year in a row plus I’ll be teaching a brand new class from scratch and that’s slightly nerve wracking, especially since the goal of that class is to get students up and over a certain percentage on their standardized tests (no pressure on me there – yikes!). I also need to start working in my new classroom; I just hope all my stuff made it from the old room to the new room. I’m not ready to think about lesson plans and the new school year yet but teachers report back in 30 days with the first day of school in 33.
It’s bittersweet, to be honest. I’m enjoying all the time I have to write now but I also can’t wait to see my students again and to get back into a strict routine. A good majority of the students I’ll have (more than 75%) I had last year and about 20ish I will have for a third year in a row. I’m really pushing myself to get Sunset Park (btw – I renamed my story) as finished as possible as I know when the school year starts, my available free time goes down the tubes.
As I mentioned, I renamed the story. Actually, not really renamed, just added another word to the original title (semantics, I know). “Sunset” was the original title when I always thought of the story as a short story but since it really snowballed into a novella (or short novel, still debating which), I thought it needed a more larger title. The neighborhood in the story is almost like a separate character and I thought it would work as the title. Something like that.
Bittersweet was kind of the whole feeling of the week; really a continuation of the feeling of the last few months for me as I adjust to this new life I have. Daughtry debuted their new video for their latest single “September” which in itself is a bittersweet (and beautiful) song. It was a beautiful walk through their memories with many pictures and video/film clips of the members growing up. Here they are putting their memories out there for the world to see while I’m trying to bury the last 20-25 years and move on (and yes that time frame is over half of my life lives so far). As much as I hate to admit it, I wouldn’t be the person I am today if it hadn’t been for those 20-25 years and although I struggle, I must also embrace that person that is me. Would I jump at the chance to change the last 20-25 years? Hell yeah! But that’s not going to happen so now it’s just a matter of dealing, accepting, and moving on. The hope is that as much as I hate the last 20-25 years, my next 10 years will be the best ever. I wish I could get that in a guarantee.
On a scale of 1-10, I give my week a 6.5.
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