Please Don't Share This Academic Truth: A View From Yesterday, 12 Hours Worth. Focused and Writing

It is rare when I have non-committed, uninterrupted time during the work week and weekends, and 99.9% of the time I'm running to put out this fire, or teach this class, or observe this school, or attend this meeting, or visit this colleague, or review this proposal, or to write that grant. Somehow it all gets done, but it is uncommon to have a day to sit down, crunch data and focus, focus, focus on one writing project. I knew when the dogs had me up at 6 a.m. that they were an alarm I very-much needed.

It was a day for writing.

I sat in my Crandall chair and chiseled a pretty-decent, shitty first draft of an invited piece I was asked to write a few months ago. I started the work on Amtrak while going to and from Philly, but I haven't had unoccupied space to work on it more because of the multiple responsibilities (and other writing projects) I have in my role as a National Writing Project director.

So, from 6 a.m. - 7:30 p.m., I sat in the same spot and wrote (with a 55-minute dog-walking break and the occasional trip to the loo and finding something else for the canines to do). I knew what my writing goals were, and I simply wouldn't sit still until I reached them (this included crunching material into graphs, charts and tables). By 7:30, however, my brain was wiped, so I ate left over kielbasa, talked to a high school friend, and caught up with my older sister.


By 8:30, I moved onto grading, planning, and simply the tomfoolery of the Internet.

I'm not celebrating yet, however, because I know this draft has to go through multiple revisions over the next few months. It is, however, about ready for the collaborators and for the inclusion of their additional insight and development. I'm just thankful that I found time to give the piece. Writing is like bringing a newborn into the world. It first has to be birthed, but then it takes many months of constant coddling and care. I think the piece has been born, but now it needs the caretakers and academic family I work with to feed it, change its diapers, and teach it to walk on its own. I do know, however, that I've reached the outline of the expectations placed before me. Now, my crew and I will sculpt, shape, challenge one another, and finish a product to be proud of.

That is, until we grow with our experiences and expertise and realize there's more to accomplish.

Hello, Sunday. I'm hoping for a new view today that covers additional angles than yesterday. I have a morning ZOOM conference call, meetings with several teachers attending NCTE with me, and the need for additional writing time on campus.

I am channeling a Dean I met at Syracuse University who sat with me during a Woman's Basketball game. In my THEN frantic worries of accomplishing dissertation goals, he simply said, "Academia is a way of life. You get used to the pace, commitment, and stress."

I guess at this point I'm used to it, but I readily admit it never gets easier.

In the end, we can only do what we can. The rest, well, is meant for others to fill in. Channeling the Human League here: I'm only human...born to make mistakes.

I am okay with my flaws, including the fact that I am willing to sacrifice an entire day to committing words to the page.