Professor Sharon

Although lately, I imagine there other other bloggers, that like me, probably feel as though they are writing to thin air (or perhaps like my parents when we kids didn’t listen so well said “I must be talking to the wall.”), I think of things to write about. Too often my thinking takes place running errands and by the time I get to my laptop, I’ve forgotten what during the car ride sounded like a quote for the history books is long forgotten.

But, tonight I think about tomorrow.  I go “back to work” officially.  My sabbatical is officially over tomorrow morning (Tuesday).   It is Opening day for Faculty:  a day of eating together, for some reconnecting, for others annoying meetings, and I sometimes think for a privileged few, a day to hide in your office and do something or other (but I won’t go there – yet).  Although Wednesday begins classes, mine begin on Thursday.   I’m teaching 3 courses, and have the equivalent of 2 classes of work release to be Department Chair and tend to our spring accreditation chores.

What I most want to remember tomorrow and every day of the semester is something I heard in Spain:  to work to live, not live to work.  Our time in Spain showed us a culture that values its downtime.  There was no harm, no embarrassment, no problem with stopping to talk to someone, smell the roses, watch a child play, and leisurely stroll your way about town.  It was more than fine to NOT multi-task.   I have tried to live this way my whole life, and it is a super challenge in American culture.  I try to speak up about downtime, time to think, time to reflect — reflecting is an important part of what I try to teach my pre-service teachers.  Ah, but our culture, and where I work, likes to move fast and hard, and ask each employee to do far more than is actually smart.  But the reasoning goes like this:  It’s economy of scale.   My reasoning:  the organization can’t afford to hire the people it needs to, so we are all asked to do more to fill in the gaps.  Oh well….

But I’m going to do my best to take each task on its own time, its own merit, to deeply listen to each person who I interact with, to enjoy the day, the weather, my life.  My friend Adam, who died at 47, and my colleague, Gretchen, who died at 57, are my reminders that tomorrow I may not be here.   Even this is a bit cliche in our American society — so many say it, and don’t do anything about it.

I’ll be happy to be in the teaching mode again; I’ve missed interacting with students.  But I think my readjustment still has some way to go, as I realize that no matter how I face each day, each of these days starting tomorrow won’t have the slow pace or the time to fill it with my choice of events.  I shall miss my daily hour read of morning paper, tea and a bit of a good book.  I shall miss the other hours of reading, of cooking long complicated home baked meals and goodies, strolling and talking endlessly with my best friend (and husband), and talking with my daughter at any hour of the day.

Here’s to everyone’s first day of school!  I wish you all a semester/year of a little slowness, a little time to enjoy life.

First daughter: Margaret Gillett Wickware 1895-1971

My grandmother. Married at a young age to an older man, gave birth to twelve children and saw all reach adulthood. She was my grandmother, and the person in my life who, somehow, convinced me I was going places with just what I had: me.

Second daughter: Elmina Wickware Donlon Mcguire 1926 —

Her daughter, my mother. Married and divorced my father after over 25 years of marriage. She has five children, over a dozen grandchildren, two step-great-grandchildren, and one great granddaughter.

Third daughter: Sharon Ann Marie Donlon Roth 1954 —

Her daughter, me. Married young, and still married to the same guy 36 years later (and proud of it!). Two children, one grandchild (so far).

Fourth daughter: SerahRose Gillett Roth 1978 —

Her daughter, my daughter. Separated, yet living a satisfied life in today’s new form of extended family and friends. One child (so far).

Fifth daughter: Aviendha Constance Rowland-Roth 2006

Her daughter, my granddaughter. Lots of life and love to come still 🙂

A few days ago we went to visit our daughter and her daughter and I got to thinking how much I wished that my grandmother could have met my granddaughter. It would fill a novel, and I suppose someday I could try to write it, but for now suffice it to say that I am overwhelmed with joy at what life has brought to these five daughters.

I understand that my grandmother was totally unschooled, and I watched her sign her name once with an X. My mother quit school in elementary school to stay at home and help her mother raise all of those children. Although attending school for most of my adult life (a few years off between 1972 – 2004), I’ve been able to achieve that “terminal” degree in my field. My daughter has a 4 year degree, a ton of fascinating life experience already, including travel and living in big cities, and like, her daughter, that littlest daughter of us all, has many years and experiences to go!

Five daughters – five women – who says immortality doesn’t exist?