Flip Flop Day

I woke up the Saturday before we went on vacation and realized that when we got back, it would be August. Although I created a plan of attack for the rest of the summer, I knew that no plan could forestall what lay ahead, just beyond the boundaries of our week at the beach.

Flip Flop Day.

Yes, I know it sounds innocuous enough -- like a day when I wear flip flops. That, however, would be every day.

No, this flip flop would have to do with my calendar, my to-do lists and the way I allocate my time. Turning the calendar page to August means shifting my priorities. No longer would my writing sprint be the number one item on my list. On many days, in fact, I would be leaving my beautiful sprints -- the ones I'd even managed to squeeze in most days at the beach -- behind. Turning the calendar page to August could mean only one thing.

Fall semester.

I'm not complaining -- merely mourning a bit. I love teaching at the college level. I love teaching, period. But it takes a lot of time to prepare for classes and to review and assess my students' work. In the summer, I have the luxury of putting all that preparation on the back burner. And, since there is no student work to assess, I can work the preparation time in around my writing schedule.

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But in August, things flip flop. Priorities change. Writing time drops down the list and planning and
preparation for classes rises to the top. Blogs get written after dinner instead of after breakfast. Word Count Wednesday numbers drop.

Instead of sprinting my way through a novel and coming up with excuses to write instead of revise, I'll be putting my class activities on a Moodle…and coming up with excuses to write instead of revise. (Some things won't change).

It will require some adjusting, especially since I'm teaching two classes this semester instead of just one, but adjustments aren't always a bad thing. The last several major life changes I've had to make have all led to positive outcomes, so while I'm apprehensive, I'm also optimistic. Besides, doing the things I love has a way of expanding my energy so that I have the capacity to do what needs to be done and the wherewithal to step away from time wasters, at least most of the time.

And so this is August. My family has been warned. Wish them luck, because aside from grieving my writing time, I'll be fine.

Word Count Wednesday: 2229…ish...