Woohoo! I finally figured out how to get back on my own blog!
Now that my department has relocated, my day begins with a bus-train-bus commute. It's kind of annoying because no one segment lasts long enough to get any serious grading done, and those segments are punctuated by long waits outside where it is too windy to get any grading done. SO, at my boss's suggestion, I have given up trying to grade en route and given into the temptation to spend those commute hours on frivolous reading. I am way behind in grading paragraphs, but . . .
A few days ago, I was sitting at the bus stop in a very whiny mode, thinking, "I am so exhausted--I really don't think I can do this one more day." And then even whinier: "I really miss my family. I actually like hanging out with Paul and Brianna, and it seems like all I do at home any more is grade or sleep. I am in bed so fast most days. I miss them."
But then, the bus came and I decided to crack open the ELizabeth Berg book of short stories I was carrying, "Ordinary Life." Elizabeth Berg is one of my favorite writers because reading her stuff always makes me feel more affectionate toward people in my life and always makes me want to write too. Before we had even made it to the train station, I was looking out the window at the lights of the heavy traffic on the still-dark streets and getting a lump in my throat over how beautiful the sight was. Wow! A reminder of the ability of good writing to transform.
Eventually, I had to put the Berg book aside for a while because I was getting so full of stuff to write myself that I thought I would burst. But now I am able to get back on my blog, so I can start typing in all that stuff.