Friday, April 19, 2013

not restrained in any way





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My lovely neighbour Mike, who thought my name (rather than the dog's) was Ophelia for a long time, has just added another dog to his family.  This brings him up to three, which makes our four seem not so crazy these days.  He has three big dogs.

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After school I had a student present to me his graduation portfolio, which is a graduation requirement in this province.  His exit letter was about his best high school memories and a big part of it was about my class, which was touching.  (I hope he wrote it from the heart and not because he knew I was his evaluator.)  Each teacher is required to evaluate three portfolios, but because I have trouble saying no to people I care about, I took on sixteen of them.  Portfolios are taking up most of my free time these days, but I really enjoy them, really enjoy the opportunity to know my students better on their way out, know them as real people.  Sometimes when my job makes me grouchy I forget how much these people matter to me.  I blame Crazy Sue.


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I started trying to label things because I realised that "Crazy Sue" was the only category with any weight.  I can't have Crazy Sue be the thing I write about most.  After labelling half-heartedly for fifteen minutes or so I realised that I definitely talk about teaching and books more than I talk about Crazy Sue. Phew.

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Would you like to know what I'm reading?  I'm reading, Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking, by Susan Cain.  The book is Carolynn's recommendation and so far it is very interesting.  Sometimes introverts feel they need to overcome their introversion in order to be successful -- this book talks about ways in which introverts already are successful and ways in which to use one's strengths rather than fighting one's nature.  That idea resonates peacefully.


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Last night I dreamed that Palmer dog could sing.  Not the way he sings now when I ask him to sing ("arrrrrrrooooo") but actual singing.  Sort of operatic.  He was singing, Show Me The Way, by Styx.  He couldn't remember all the lyrics so he just kept singing, "Showwwww me the way!" over and over, but I was still very impressed with his efforts and couldn't wait for Shawn to come home from work so I could prove to him that the dog isn't stupid.


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7 comments:

Secret Agent Woman said...

The dog dream actually made me laugh out loud.

Even though I love spending time with friends or lovers, I am an introvert. Which makes my choice of work funny - sometimes I need to just get away by myself to recharge after a long work day.

mischief said...

Ridiculous, isn't it? My subconscious is a very strange place. My work is an exhausting place for introverts too. Sometimes I wish I had taken that into consideration when choosing.

Nic said...

What a busy post. I do hope that CS has decided enough is enough. I can't help but think that there is something horrible lurking behind that mood of hers. The nosey part of me wants to know what it is.

I have just taught Dolly to talk to me! I grab one of her toys and ask, 'Is it mine, or is it Dolly's?' And I get a lot of faces and araarrrra, and so I ask again. More faces and arararaaararra. She knows she is not allowed to bark, but she can speak in this way. It is incredibly sweet and very funny.

mischief said...

Yes, busy head that day. I think CS suffers from physical illnesses that mess with her emotional stability. In which case I should be far more sympathetic but I find it difficult to be sympathetic to anyone who has their finger in my face.

Dolly's new trick sounds fantastic. Clever girl! I hope you lavished her with treats.

meno said...

I loved that book, and learned so much from it. I gave copies to my daughter an three of my friends.

Brown said...

I chuckle at the idea of mandatory meditations.

mischief said...

Wonderful book, isn't it? I wish I had read it long ago.

Yes, mandatory mediation is a strange concept. Especially when it's mandatory disguised as voluntary.