Making My Way Back to You
29th Edition - July 27, 2023 - Idioms, death doulas, and AI
“I’ve got too many ducks in the air right now,” I said in exasperation. My colleague looked at me oddly. “Ducks? In the air?” Huh. I said it again to myself. While ducks do belong in the air, it definitely sounded weird. “Balls in the air! That’s what I meant! The other phrase is, ‘ducks in a row,’ which I clearly don’t have, and I’m even more preoccupied than I thought.” We laughed and got on with the point of our conversation. Afterwards I immediately started (over)thinking, as I tend to do. Are all humans destined to feel like their ducks are overwhelming? Why, in middle age, have I still not been able to perfect the act of managing tasks in such a way that actually makes me feel the way I thought all adults felt when I was a kid. That is, to say, eternally confident and full of answers. Whatever the idiom, it’s clear that the last several months have been anything but organized made further evident by they fact that my previous edition was published at the end of April. I bet you even forgot that you had subscribed!
Well, I’m back….maybe?
To go along with all of the emotions that come with working in public education in 2023, at the end of a long school year (and the dawn of the next) filled with staff shortages, looking for new and creative ways to support students and families through the mental health crisis in the United States, and finding ourselves in the middle of a national culture war that no educator asked to be a part of, I don’t even know where to begin. This has always been challenging work, but lately the challenges can be completely overwhelming. Fortunately, one of the best things about working in education in the Northeast is that we do have the opportunity to take a breath in July and August and start fresh in September. We can have new intentions, set meaningful goals, and reinvent how we approach the challenges in front of us. That is so unique in the professional world, and it bears repeating. So, as they say in meditation and mindfulness work, I’m simply going to begin again.
For me, this new school year is going to be centered around one idea and one idea alone - cultivating joy wherever I can. Thanks to educator, literacy expert, and author Gholdy Muhammad and guidance from her new book, Unearthing Joy, I am working hard to shift my focus from lack to abundance. I am setting intentions now, and, as a trusted colleague often reminds me, “speaking what I seek.” Maybe you would like to do the same? I’d love to hear what your intentions are as we move through summer toward September, whether you work in education or not. Share in the comments, or find me on social media.
In the meantime, stay hydrated, and take good care.
-Tim
What I’m Thankful For
While I haven’t been keeping up with my writing, that doesn’t mean that I have been sedentary. Throughout the month of May I spent 20 hours training with Hospice here in the Capital Region of New York to become a volunteer with this truly wonderful organization. Believe it or not, it has been a calling of mine for a long time to do work with people who are transitioning from this life to whatever comes next (and I do believe something comes next - another post for another time maybe) and their families. Early on, when I was trying to decide who I wanted to be as an adult, I truly thought I would end up as a medical social worker spending my days in this capacity or adjacent. My path obviously took a different direction, but I’ve never stopped thinking about the work. Having a certified therapy dog helped to open the door this spring to the opportunity, and I took the plunge.
Now Jim, my 8 year old boxer-lab mix who is an angel on Earth, and I have had a couple of opportunities to dip our toes into the work while being mentored by some very patient folks. While I won’t get into the specifics of what I’ve encountered so far, I will say that my belief that we do ourselves no favor in western culture by avoiding talk of death has been solidified. I’m learning so much already, and I’m endlessly thankful that there are people out there who make this their life’s work. I found the below TED talk from Alua Arthur that helped capture how I’m feeling on this path. Arthur is a death doula. Yes. That’s a thing, and wow, what an honor it must be to be able to stand alongside other humans and help them navigate a journey few of us truly plan for. I hope you watch it.
“I want to die with all of my affairs in order, so my loved ones have nothing to worry about but their grief...” - Alua Arthur
What I’m Reading & Listening To
Education:
Mental Health:
EdWeek (potential paywall) - What It’s Like Teaching Through a Youth Mental Health Crisis
Fast Company: A psychologist’s 5-step guide for resilient leadership when everything is going wrong
Podcasts:
Stolen by Gimlet Media, 2 seasons, narrated by Connie Walker:
From the show notes - Season 1: “In 2018, a 23-year-old Indigenous woman named Jermain Charlo stepped out of a bar in downtown Missoula, Montana, and disappeared. Journalist Connie Walker travels to Montana to retrace what might have happened to Jermain.”
Looking for more ways to discover interesting writing on the Internet?
Check out “The Sample”: One of my favorite free newsletter discovery tools is called The Sample. I subscribed when I starting writing this newsletter months ago, and I’ve come across some interesting destinations since then. Based on interests and feedback, The Sample sends a new recommendation to your inbox on a daily or weekly basis. For too long my personal email has been a dumping ground for advertising spam and bill notifications. The Sample is one way I’m reclaiming some fun through email. Check it out and make your inbox more interesting, too!
Get smarter daily with Refind - Every day Refind picks 7 links from around the web for you, tailored to your interests. They have a great app, as well. In fact, I find many of the articles in this newsletter on Refind. Click here to subscribe for free today
Tim, welcome back and thanks for writing whenever you can! Always enjoy when you share your thoughts. Phenomenal that you’re following your heart and doing some work with Hospice - the world needs more people like you. Happy summer my friend, Dennis Schug