My goal for this year has been to get rid of as much excess obligation in my life as possible. I find that I easily over-committ and then kick myself for it the rest of the year. Then, I don't enjoy my job and feel like a piece of taffy stretched far too wide. No more of that this year.
So, thus far, I have accomplished said goal. I only teach one piano lesson outside of school. That's it. No other permanent obligations with ministries, friends, or school. Perhaps it won't stay this way forever, but for right now, it's perfect. I can feel the positive effects already. I have time to exercise, time to read, time to enjoy life. Plus, I am loving my job more than I thought possible. It's a small miracle.
As part of my new goal, I am attempting to get back into good physical condition. I have begun running after work with a colleague. Today, however, my colleague couldn't run because of another obligation. So, I drove home (which is now just four minutes away from school!), grabbed my iPod and made myself jog on my own anyway.
As I rounded the last corner of my route and faced a gradual uphill for almost the last mile, I passed one of the students from my school who was sprinting the other way. I threw a wave like the friendly teacher I should be, wondering all the while what the heck he thought of a sweaty, beet-faced me.
Then, another student jogged past. "Wait a minute," I thought. "Is that a whole hoard or middle schoolers running my way?" Yep. The cross-country team from my school was jogging my route backwards...or at least that stretch backwards. So, I had the pleasure of bumbling past many of my students, trying to look chipper and vivacious while stuffing my angst about what I might look like at this point in my run. After all, some of them looked a bit bedraggled...but I, I must have really looked like a beaten horse due to my less-than-stellar physical condition at the moment.
I exchanged niceties with the students I passed while laughing to myself for getting into this predicament. I laughed out loud when I passed one of the coaches, making a lame joke about going the wrong way. He smiled and laughed too, even giving me a high five as we passed each other. I mean, it really wasn't that bad, but was just one of those events that I wouldn't have chosen to occur, you know? Pathetic, I realize.
At least when I'm teaching something in music class and a student feels confused, intimidated or just plain bored (though boredom never happens in my class, I promise), he can simply recall me staggering along the sidewalk in a hopeful jog and the memory will create a momentary amusement.
Ah, the joys of teaching middle school!
