January 22, 2007
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Playing Hookey
Well, that resolution’s definitely down the drain.
I don’t want to take what’s left of my dreams and dash them against the rocks of real life. If I’m ever to be a writer, I have to write. But I may need to concede that it can’t be in a public forum, not on a regular basis anyway. Notebooks and journals and the backs of store receipts and even my left hand work as well.
I’m playing hookey today because I had a bad feeling about driving to work on the snow/ice-packed roads resulting from our fifth winter storm of the season this weekend. It wasn’t quite clear enough to qualify as a premonition, but it was definitely a feeling. I feel like I have to justify myself. The three days (two personal, one sick) that were originally to be used for our Christmas trip are credited back to me because the district was closed all three of those days, during the first blizzard. So, I felt it was OK to take a sick day this month and here we are. I’m just glad I work at a school where subs will come in on short notice. I think my plans are straightforward and easily manageable today, so I’m not really concerned, but I always feel a twinge of guilt when I’m not there and my students are.
Then again, it will give me a perfect opportunity to read this poem tomorrow.
Besides, it’s most likely that I won’t be back in this district next year, so I might as well use the days I have available. That’s because it’s most likely I won’t still be in this state next year. No worries, the family’s coming with me. The rest is a long story.
Having lived for some 16 months of my life in northwestern Indiana, a third of the way up I-65 from Indianapolis to Chicago, I’m glad to see those two cities’ teams matched in the Super Bowl. A Midwestern dream, to be played out in south Florida. The Saints will come back strong, no doubt drubbing my Falcons twice again next season. And the Patriots… my principal may be a diehard fan (he wrote in an e-mail that he “needs counseling” today), but haven’t they had enough success lately? Time to share.
It will probably be Super Bowl time when I post again, so here’s to a great remainder of January for all.
Comments (5)
At least you are not actually sick. It’s definitely that time of year. A whole bunch of us were out last week. And about those unused sick days…well, when I changed districts, my new district gave me credit for all of my unused ones. That was pretty sweet. And I know that if you teach long enough, your retirement program will probably give you credit for them. But yes, all of us need those hookey days every once in a while…and I love that poem. I read it to my eleventh graders a couple of years ago.
Nooooooo … how can you leave us hanging like that? You guys are coming to LA, right?
Yeah … I know … 
As for the resolution, the writing was on the wall. Haven’t you made that resolution for at least the past four years?
I have about 80 sick days accrued … and oh how I would love to use one this week! I even stacked materials for tomorrow on my kidney table “just in case”.
I like the poem. Haha
randomly~”education is life”Good point:)
I also agree that knowing a little about everthing,hehe
I haven’t been around to visit in a while – but it looks like you haven’t written much in a while. Hope you had a good Holiday weekend.