Drop Out : re(Muse)ings

Drop Out

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I dropped out worse than any of my students.  They know they have to maintain at least one post a week for a grade.  I know that this is a life style consideration.  And I become lazy just like other bloggers I see in the world, so I dropped out.

Now, I feel the need to be back though with even less purpose than before.  The same could be said of all my writing.  Let me co-opt an excuse e-mail sent to friends and family:

Over the past few weeks I’ve received many a missive, and if you sent one, you probably did not receive a reply.  As Mom asked in her recent e-mail, has something happened or am I just lazy.

Yep, the answer is lazy.
I dropped off the planet.  One, Jon and I had a fantasitic time in Vietnam.  I’ve never traveled with someone who would prefer to sit on a street corner with a drink and watch the locals or talk to stranger-backpacker #4.  The closet would be Catherine who loves restaurants and the food becomes the event itself.  Jon and I had fresh squeezed lemonade or whatever other fruit juice you might prefer, ate an an amazing vegetarian restaurant with stuff eggplant, and talked about life, about nothing, and about censorship versus rights.

My friend Rhonda started me on the habit of the top ten from a trip.  I’ve stuck with it since– until this trip.  Jon mentioned that one of his top ten was probably the first breakfast he and I had.  We sat at a sidewalk cafe with omelets and bacon (my first Western breakfast since Christmas), and Jon had a tiny espresso cup that was refilled.  We watched cyclos and motorcycles, and hawkers and businesses opening.  He said it was that moment that he felt worldly.  I know what he means.

I dropped off the planet. One reason is that currently I love my students and teaching.  At one point I had the thought that life is just that horrible waiting before the students walk into the classroom the next day.  I love the energy and life that is the classroom.  I’m amazed at what some of my students can produce, I worry that I’m not teaching them to stretch to the fullest extent.  In the meantime, grading is still avoided.

Partially the blue skies and green earth disappeared in life again just because it does periodically.  It becomes the time when I have no energy and I go through the motions waiting until the light reappears but despairing that months may go by before I care about anything again.  That’s dark, but it happens as most friends know.  So, I watched television and became familiar with the Disney Channel.  Packing for Vietnam was a nightmare because it was so difficult to move beyond the fuzz.

Partially the earth dropped because of age.  I’m unlikely to have kids and for the first time ever I felt that as a personal tragedy. I always said that if it happens I would be happy, if not okay.  Well, the clock definitely ticked.  I wanted to experience pregnacy.  I wanted a chance to hold the soft body knowing the fleeting moments.  I love two year olds and wanted to control my own temper.  I wanted to listen to my child babble and babble at age nine.  I didn’t want my favorite sweater to be ruined or the oil pan to drop out of the borrowed car.

I just found out today that a teacher who has gorgeous curly hair, is tall, talented, and married 3? years ago is in her third month of pregnancy.  She and her husband have been trying for two years.   She’s 40.  They met when she was 37.  So okay, if it is something desired, I could put this on my goal list.  I’ve achieved almost the entire goal list that Dad had me create at age 18.  I missing two countries and I no longer care about beating the Mario Ninetendo Game.  However, of the 20 plus goals, I’ve achieved almost all.

I am a little busy.  That does account for the rest of not communicating with Mom.  Friday, went to a stupid movie (Street Fighter with Keanu Reeves.)  Don’t see it.  However, it must be mentioned that Keanu was excellent.  He had very few lines and I think that as long as he doesn’t speak he is an excellent actor.  Saturday, three of us took our bikes on the subway (a bit of a no-no), visited the large river by Seoul, went to an arboreteum and a park kind of like Central Park and then rode the two hours back to our neighborhood.  That was my true introduction to spring. The lilacs have finished blooming, the green is no longer new, but that green that is right before summer green sets in, the cherry blossoms were gorgeous, and my cat Rain is antsy.

Today was CPR training, tomorrow is Korean lessons, Thursday dinner with Keith who is leaving at the end of May (friendships are very much hello, goodbye here), Friday is the school play, Saturday helping with the Swim Meet, Sat night is our principal’s 40th with poker, and Sunday I will probably grade.  Whew!  So, friends, even though I’m turtling, no one really knows.  Though Clay did take me to task for not updating my blog.

Well, I’ve got to grade . . . or watch TV.

My goal is to be back.  Watch for new posts that maybe are a  little more analytical, a little less woe is me.

  

Comments

2 Responses to “Drop Out”

  1. yuraj10 on May 8th, 2008 5:14 am

    I think this post is really meaningful because in one post it seems to contain a lot of the thoughts in your mind and just a concise post about your life. It made me realize how much I’ve changed and grown since the time I can remember. I think my goals keep on changing and as I accomplish more, there are more thrown at me. Yet, again, maybe that’s the factor that keeps me going and come back from my tragedies.

  2. skpatterson on June 1st, 2008 8:06 pm

    Lori, your words really struck me.
    You write with such honesty and beauty, and it’s such an honor to teach alongside you…and be lazy with you too. I’m only just pulling my life together (and I finally just told my friends and family we’ll have to catch up this summer, when I have more time), and getting caught up *gulp* on the grading I put to the side in my pleasure to be in class, in life, alive and living.
    The pregnancy of our dear friend has my clock ticking too, my friend…and I find myself stuck somewhere between wanting it to happen and not knowing if I can handle it should it happen.
    Keep making and achieving goals and then sharing them with us! skp

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