Does Anyone Miss His or Her Typewriter?

Can you feel it? Sure seems like everyone is... this strange apprehension... this sense that all is not right in the world. Even the kids are reacting- it is unlike anything I've seen or felt before, but it is not entirely ominous. In fact, it feels like fundamental change. We are changing... as a people, as a species, as a world... and we are doing it quickly- so quickly, I think we can actually feel the change.

I remember the first time I read The Time Machine by H.G. Wells- when he goes forward- far forward into the future and the people have become like sheep- happy grazing sheep (who are eventually used for food). I've been thinking about that book lately. I've also been thinking about the film Wall-E... people love their technology and turn into slumbering slugs. These visions of the future seem too familiar... too possible. And yet, I continually am surprised by how much good can come from our "new" world if channeled well.

Did you know that texting is actually allowing kids to be more honest with each other? It is almost like we are returning to the days of letter writing- when we could spill our thoughts out with care and allow our readers to ingest our thoughts without interruption... I'm sure it isn't that way for everyone, but instead of fighting the system, and the new, we might want to look at what is good in it.

We are changing- but we have to be active in the change rather than fight it, don't we? Doesn't history tell us that change will come regardless? Just maybe we could become excited by this apprehension... this feeling... maybe we could embrace it and move with it- nobody complains about giving up typewriters and correction fluid for word processors...

The Ups- The Downs- The Tears... and the elipses

Wow. I've started writing this post 3 times now, but I can't actually get it finished because I keep being interrupted by life. When I began this blogging adventure, I remember thinking I was nuts because I would never actually have time to do it. I was right.

So... since my last post I have: put up Death Takes a Holiday, taken down Death Takes a Holiday, hosted a cast party, run 2 AP Lit. study sessions at my house, survived AP Lit. testing day (there is always a question as to whether or not my heart will hold out), sent Halli off to prom, hosted 3 sets of guests at the house, been to Corvallis to see an old student in a college play, celebrated mother's day with the bestest mama in the world (mine), made an ASTOUNDING meal of white chicken enchiladas, got my grades in for progress reports, been to 5 or 6 of Kobie's softball games, survived the last 4 weeks of being a teacher in RR, and tonight, I'm having a bunch of 8th grade girls over for a sleepover.

Whew.

I'm tired.

This time of year is always insane. I move in a fog as I simply try to keep moving... but now things slow down. Now I look around and realize there are students, kids who are being successful in ways they never thought possible; I see my beautiful family and wonder why they still love me when I'm pretty sure I've forgotten to feed them for the last 2 months (except those amazing enchiladas, of course!); I have these cool friends- who put up with my crap (thank you folks- don't know why you stick around...)- they seem to know I mean well, even when I'm too busy to remember to call, much less spend time with them... and I'm up... I'm down... I'm crying tears of exhaustion that lead to tears of joy... cheesy? Yep. But really, how fricking lucky are we to even be here in the first place? Have you ever thought about it? There were millions of sperm... hundreds to thousands of eggs... the chances of you being you, or me being me... the chance that our mothers managed to not only conceive, but then wanted to have us, and didn't fall down, or get sick, or whatever... we've all won the cosmic lottery... billions of chances to one that you and I are here. That we are us... how amazingly lucky we are... how honored we should feel to feel the joy and pain of life- when so many didn't make it this far. We get to feel- to love... to fight... to cry... we get to BE.

Don't give up on it- or on anyone around you- we are too few- too unique to lose.