There are times when you need to stay in the office way too late.
It is Friday at nearly five. Maybe I have overstayed.
Aidan is flat out of things to do. He tried to see if he could crawl under this chair. Seems reasonable.
I have said being bored is actually when your brain starts to grow. I’m pretty sure both my kids think this advice is some type of made up teacher knowledge.
I wonder what new ideas I could come up with this weekend if I let myself become bored. No books or digital things, would I have a breakthrough or start crawling under chairs?
If you look in the distance that thing kinda looks like a long silver snake. You can find at the very back of the sculpture park. This is what Aidan wanted to find, last time it conquered him and he wanted to reverse that on this trip.
We are new to Canvas and there have been days that been difficult as we solve the issues that come up. Today I was on the phone a few times because one tiny aspect was not working.
I was shocked they could not solve it in under a minute. Every time I called in the past they usually solve the issue in a minute or two.
This issue seemed huge.
But it wasn’t.
And I figured it out.
It was one of those times I wanted to jump up and run around the office getting high fives from everyone. Or maybe get a cake to celebrate.
But I just hang up the phone, did a self high five and get back to solve other issues.
There were summers when I would spend the summers with my grandparents. It was a full two and a half day drive from our house to theirs.
One tiny memory I have is our nightly walks. Nearly every night after the dishes were done gramps and I would go for a walk. Maybe a mile maybe three, it just depended on the heat of the day.
I found his old house and instantly recalled the names of the streets.
The last few nights have been pretty nice so I have been taking short walks around the neighborhood. I hadn’t really thought about our walks until I turned the corner.
The picture does not do the colors justice. It reminded me of a late Georgia sunset.
Some days we need these little glimpse of happiness to steel us for tomorrow.
I’m fascinated by things that should not be. These tiny little anomalies jump out at me from time to time. Most are so small that some people just walk on by. Some are so common that they become invisible.
Here are three that I have me thinking.
There is a huge boulder in front of a school. If you look closely there is a small plant growing. There isn’t any real dirt, just a crack in the rock. This plant shouldn’t be growing in this location. My guess is someone never told this plant that it wasn’t possible to grow, it shouldn’t be possible for it to be doing what it is. The plant just took root and grew.
How many times have you been told no or it just isn’t possible. Next time remember my little friend. Almost anything is possible.
There is this steel thing in a sidewalk. It is packed with dirt and grim and I can’t really figure out what it is. Once the weather turns somewhat nice all this green starts to grow within a field of concrete and steel. It shouldn’t support life yet these things thrive.
This little guy lives near a curb. Somehow it has survived people stepping on it and the occasional car running it over.
I’m pretty sure each of these represent every person who reads this post.
I wonder… is there someone in our classrooms, buildings or districts that is the little plant that no one is noticing? Find that plant.
Certain things smell bad but pull you deep into a memory.
Sometimes it is a tiny smell that lasts a microsecond but transport you through time. Sometimes it is a big smell that wraps everyone up but only you know its deep secret.
I was walking down the street and was wrapped in this big smell that was somewhat foul but familiar. It was awful yet I had to pause to drink it in.
This construction site was emitting a deep machine, dirty oil and diesel exhaust mixed just so as if trying to create a cologne of a long lost relic. If bottled it might bear the name like LST 1184 or Ode of Remembrance.
This stink was exact smell of deep within an old ship.
The inside was cramped, we slept four high. I was lucky enough that our bunk was right against a bulkhead, others only had inches from the next group of four.
The stink of dirty grease didn’t always penetrate within the berth but it was an undertone. You could scrub but it was still there.
When they fired up all the Hogs you could smell the exhaust. In the tank deck your eyes would sting with the smoke. I sometimes wondered how many months this was taking off my life, breathing it hurt.
Outside wasn’t much better. Inside this little windtunnel was cold on some days and others blistering hot.
I have described living on ship was like sleeping in your classroom every night. Then you wake to begin work like that groundhogs day movie. And your whole classroom of kids never leave. And it lasts six months. All of you in one small space.
That construction smell transported me to another life I used to live. While many of the days were not great, time makes me cherish them a little more.
