Still Here

Several people have asked if things are ok, since there have been continuing gaps in my posting. I’m fine and it’s nice to know there’s a community out there paying attention and noticing the gap. We know the nicest people!

Thinking about the reasons underlying my actions--always a worthwhile activity--reveals that the silence is mostly because there’s a lot to do, though nowhere near what it was this spring. Also, I’ve been a little cranky, and I generally try to keep things to myself when there isn’t much positive to say. There’s no good reason for the cranky, just sorting through all the looming changes and a general dissatisfaction with the degree of clutter in my life.

Here’s an example: There’s a dress hanging on the back of my bedroom door that’s been there now for some time. The calculation of exactly how long that might have been is a little cringe-inducing. There was some compelling reason to get it out that’s no longer accessible, and I’ve been hesitant to put the dress away when the prospect of remembering why it’s there might be just around the corner. Sadly, that corner hasn’t presented itself, and doesn’t seem likely to do so, so the dress is likely to get put away today. That’s the state of my life: full of stuff and clutter without knowing why it’s there, except that the nagging sense that there was a good reason or use for it at one time.

I’m getting caught up, finally, after the exertions of the spring. This week and next, my goal is to get things in order for fall teaching and clear the decks before turning to summer, the waiting book manuscript and new horizons. The new horizons are both exciting and daunting, so preparing and thinking about them is taking some sorting through. In the back of my head, thoughts about exceptionalism are rolling around; as soon as there is something interesting to say on that topic, I’ll write more.

Summer is my favorite time of year. I hope you’re enjoying it as much as I am. Cheers.