Weekdays Avoiding Microaggressions

Sometimes I get very angry.  Luckily, one of my coping mechanisms for academia anger is talking with my mother who is also an academic.  So, if you see me in a parked car pretty animated ... it's probably a good idea to wait until I get out of the car.  Best bet is to get me right as I am walking into the house ... because I'm always pleasant for the first half hour before I talk about my day ... and then about three hours later, I'm usually even-keeled again. 

So, I am realizing my cycles of week day living are

Between 9:30 and 12am (preparation for tomorrow's day and kind of jazzed about this work)

12am to 7am warm, warm, happy dream time

6:50 light from outside, i don't wanna i don't wanna ... sleep for 10 more minutes, 8 more minutes, 5 more, goodness 1 more, I hate the alarm, might as well get up

7- 7:30, kiss matteo, smile smile warmth, start the water for tea, get ready, "what am I doing today?" quiet time

7:30 - 7:59 i should have left at 7:45 ... but no need to rush, I still have 1.5 hours before I have to be anywhere

8-8:30 commute, try to find radio stations that aren't playing the same 5 pop songs (miss Philly variety)

8:30-9: 30 prep for class or meetings; avoid disturbances.  door shut.   happily no people yet.  

9:30 - 1pm  teaching or meetings; things are generally going well ... but occasionally in meetings (very rarely while teaching) I feel myself a nail hammered down for existing, for daring to speak or be.  When that happens, I usually isolate myself for a while, debriefing with my core folk - family and close friends - because even when they can't understand, they help me calm and understand why it is that I'm feeling what I'm feeling.  They also make me laughed and re-energize me for the individual and collective work.  

  

1-3/4/4:30/4:45 prep for class as student or teacher.  tired.  i don't wanna i don't wanna.  few people.  this is about when most of the "s#$! just got real" conversations happen.  quick build up to anger and a wide range of feelings ... but I suspend.  gotta be student or teacher.  get my knitting.  calm down.  concentrate on words, wisdom, caring, heart, not me not me, but me in relation to you and us together

3/4/4:30/4:45-7:15/6:30/8/8:30/9/9:30 (depends on the day) be present in the classroom space.  sometimes sadness or anger slips in - I knit faster then, write in my little journal more - but mostly joy.  learning is liberating when it's good.  and teaching is also learning. 

commute home - look for variety in music.  dictate to myself sometimes.  i'm working on a piece of fiction and a long poem.  

home - kiss matteo, reconnect with this man I love over food, tea, sweets, puzzles, and know that he will listen and care and we can not talk about the day sometimes and watch zombie/vampire/sci-fi/thriller/etc movies and shows or play records or talk about music and our garden and ease into the silence and calm of night and one another