Quacking Myself Up, Knowing that When They Bring Darkness, All Ya Got is Your Light. So, I'm Clucking with a Bird Beak in 2021

It was another 10 p.m. dinner and let me take this opportunity to once again thank the kid for saving the day. He's pushing through numbers, sunrise through sundown, as I swim through words. I think when he came downstairs at 8 a.m. and heard me typing, then returned at 6:40 p.m. still seeing me at the desk, he knew I was in a zone and probably neglecting myself, the dog, the house, and him.

He was right. 

And I feel bad about this. What makes me feel better, however, is that in taking care of himself he's also looking out for me. "I'm heading out. Will be back soon," turned into "I got us Chipotles. I figured you needed something." 

How do you not love this? It is love. I'm so appreciative.

During the day, I opened up packages that arrived, with no rush because I didn't think they'd be the ones I really wanted when, WOLA! they were. My 24 bird-beak masks arrived - the ones that move when you talk so it's not only protecting you from Covid-19, it's also letting you quack like a duck and bawk like a chicken. How cool is that? 

Actually, I bought the masks for my friends so that on my birthday, I could have them cluck Happy Birthday to me in a safe, socially-distanced way. It's my clucking birthday, after all. My goal was to save them as a surprise to my friends, but I can't stop myself. It's way too much fun to be foolish. I've already let them know they are coming.

I'm two weeks back at work (fake news: sabbatical gives you a break. I worked during the 5 months I had off. See the 2020 posts), and 24-hours back to my department, I realized how much soul-sucking occurs in University life where your time is taken by the agenda of others, leading you down rabbit holes you can't get out of. It's an abusive, co-dependent relationship. 

I've decided to use my ethnography training to participate, and to simply watch, record, and learn.  I'm choosing to maintain my silly, to keep my joy, and to focus on schools and the kids I'm fortunate to work with, the teacher-leadership that has been my heart and soul, and sharing their stories with the rest of the world. I will keep up with the professionals across the National Writing Project network, NCTE, LRA, etc....and maintain  relationships through the University service I believe in the work I do, but everything else - that is, all that brings darkness and counters excellence - I am setting aside, and simply watching as a learner of life, in awe by human behavior.

This, I believe, has become a way to maintain sanity in 2021.