Wanna Play Catch?

I haven’t been posting for a while. 

And, I’m sure I’m not the only educational blogger out there to be trapped in a hibernation like writers block at this time. 

As we approach another winter that will see us stepping into the school to take off our scarves only to don our masks – it’s very easy to see the ruts we create for ourselves in times of stress and angst. 

There has never ever been a more crucial time for us to put ourselves in 4×4 mode and do our dangedest to get out of the ruts we’ve created in the last winter and a half. 

We’ve all been through a lot and the mental stresses I have put on myself alone make me feel like a Stretch Armstrong doll being pulled in a dozen directions. 

Merle Haggard wrote, “If We Make It Through December” which I have been lucky enough not to relate to since I first heard it as a lad. I’m still lucky in this regard – but I do find myself humming the tune more often these days. 

So, each week in December I will be add a short post here on how I myself am planning on moving beyond the snowy, muddy ruts I have created in pandemic winter months. 

Week One: Self Isolation 

If you know me, you know I have six awesome, stupendous kids. They now range in age from 23 to 8 and the oldest is the only boy. 

And we’ve managed to canoe in the summer, to run around the lake, to jump on the trampoline in the backyard and share campfires. 

Even so, I’ve been isolating to the point that many of my connections beyond my immediate family have been watered down to my online PLN’s.

I love my PLN’s … however sometimes it feels like I’m throwing a tennis ball against the school wall and trying to catch it myself. And then I’m posting my success or failure on social media just to let folks know I’m still there. 

I miss you. 

I’ve begun reaching out to those that made an impact on me prior to COVID-19. And I must admit, in almost every case so far the person I have reached out to has been grateful as they also have felt their own boots stuck in the sticky mud of self isolation.  

These have been powerful and insightful reconnections and I think they have been valuable to each of us. To hear that I am not alone. To hear how a friend’s troubles or even their strategies in navigating life in these times relates to my own strategies. 

It can be addictive to become insular and we must put a concerted effort into making those connections again. And it takes a recognition of one’s vulnerability to pull those boots from the sticky mud of self induced separation.

So, I’m going to continue to reach out … to engage in friendly conversations and renew friendships – even create some friendships with colleagues I have always had a lot of respect for but haven’t gotten to know all that well. 

If I haven’t reached out to you yet – don’t wait. Send me a DM, an email, let’s reconnect. Perhaps we can plan a short walk in the woods or around the school block. You know me – outdoor time is the best time for these things.

Let’s catch up. 

No, Let’s play catch … I’m no longer going to toss the ball to the wall 

I’m tossing it your way and it takes two to play catch.