The Summer Winds
Dunkirk NY – I won’t lie to you – one of the best things about my job is the summer. But it’s not because I don’t have to go in to teach; it’s because I get to do different activities from my usual task of teaching. The pace is slower, to be sure, but it’s that lack of being “in charge,” whether in the classroom or at the administrative level, that I like. I keep working, but it’s in the doing of the different kinds of work that I find some enjoyment and fun. This summer included:
- Acting in Buffalo with Shakespeare in Delaware Park. Just did my role to the best of my ability. No other responsibilities.
- Summer orientation of incoming freshmen. Getting the newbies their classes and getting them over that first academic hurdle is satisfying. And fun. And the atmosphere is relaxed and easygoing. And I don’t have to make any decisions.
- Vacation to visit family.
- Cleaning out the office. Next step – hiring someone to make it look good. I have no skill in interior design.
- Mowing the lawn. Meditative.
- Sitting on the back porch. Contemplative.
But the summer has gone, and everything has already heated up back at school. Classes, auditions, projects; so many things hit all at once. University life is like that: it has a way of not being there, and then in one sudden onslaught, it’s back again.
Thus begins my 23rd year as an acting teacher in a small-town college. But there are many things brewing, and I think as I shake off the summer doldrums and get my head back into writing, this year the winds of summer will blow in some new and interesting developments. I am hoping that these developments will prove interesting as the year progresses. -twl
Thomas,
You have described it perfectly. The rush is back on. Have a great year. I know your students and colleagues are in great hands