An Object In Motion...

Here are a few random tidbits:

-I went to a really random dinner tonight. I didn't expect a dinner, I expected wine and cheese and a sales pitch. Nonetheless, I was treated to salmon, beef, small vegetables, the whole nine yards. I do not think I was the target audience for this dinner, and I'm having trouble discerning who was, and why I was invited. This makes me question the entire nature of the for-profit industry, and appreciate again why I do what I do.

-That said, we held our own wine and dining evening last week, albeit for a much heftier price tag and a much more apropo audience. A lot of people spoke. There was a lot of talking. The consensus is: it was great.

-I don't do so well on the weekends without you, dear. I have trouble getting up, getting dressed, getting showered, getting out of the house. Weekdays: no problem. I'm a firecracker. I wouldn't think so much into this if it weren't wired into my system; I'm programmed to be strong, independent, individual, and to believe that soulmates are a load of crap. I believe that people adjust to a variety of different relationships, and that our futures are a tree of opportunity, each branch leading to a different sort of happiness.

-I am happy I spend my time with you, my co-workers, the students of Houston, the policymakers, the teachers, the people who care about education and have seen the possibility that every child can achieve, the supporters, the people who write checks, my friends and family in Houston and elsewhere.

-I recognize and acknowledge that this could all look very different. I could have different catchphrases, a different job, different constituents. So much is based on experience and mine was dumb luck. I could be wildly passionate about New Orleans, or San Francisco, or Portland or Washington DC. So much of our passion goes into who we know, what we do, where we live, and that root--that always present root of family.

-But here we are. And you are here with me, in short. And I am grateful that you know who I am, and are willing to forgive a weekend or several spent in solitude, trying to figure it all out. I am grateful that you will pull me out of it, back into the commotion and the din and the obligations that keep me sane.

-I could end here. I have the tidy summarizing sentence. But I'm leaving something out--I'm leaving out religion, which keeps skipping to the top of my head, even as I push it down again and again, thinking, "my work fulfills this for me." I wrote to a popular UU blogger and asked her two questions: 1. Am I somehow missing out by not attending a weekly church service? and 2. How do I incorporate what I do and what I believe?

-She wrote: "I think it would be spiritually and professionally beneficial for you to be involved with a congregation. Where better to practice the arts of love and to know and be known? Congregations are always flawed and the worship services certainly vary in quality, but we go for the relationships and for the opportunity to encounter the Holy through our being together. Not that this doesn't happen in teaching, but whereas in teaching you can be the Hero at all times, in church we all take turns being the teacher and the student. I think that balance is important.

And just think how much networking you can do through UU congregations as an active member! You can write for the UU World magazine, preach from your local pulpit, contribute to chat lists, network at denominational gatherings, and combine your vocation of teaching with your involvement with the church. What a great opportunity!!"

...

-She is a little bit off (it is so difficult to explain what I do), but mostly correct. Watch out hippies, I'm headed your way. My personality profile says that we are very unlikely to be religious leaders of any kind. And yet. Isn't that the point of any writer? Don't we all want to inspire and lead a movement? Isn't everything we do inspired by broader human ideals and desires?

-I just postponed a phone call to finish this blog. I am finished, and I have likely gone on too long.

-I'm going to a conference tomorrow wherein I most definitely am the target audience. I paid $25 for a box lunch and program, and I expect at the end of the day it will all feel very logical, worthwhile, and correct.

-Don't take so long to visit, next time. I need you around to keep me from these spells. It's terribly easy to forget what a difference you make in my life.