Hmmmm. It's the First Week of @CWPFairfield's Summer Writing Programs & I'm Thinking About the Sisyphean New York Post Article About Work

The premise is, "What if you just stop? What if quit doing the work that you always do and just let it go? What if you ended all you contribute and simply say you're done?" I know teaching is emptying the ocean with a fork and Sisyphus remains one of my favorite allegories. In the high school classroom, I used to preach, "Well, you know you go to push it up the hill, but how can you do it so it is tolerable? Do you make it a musical? Tell jokes? Paint the rock?"

I purchased a 30-second dance party machine online to help me cope with five weeks of summer work. In fact, when it arrived I ran over to Pam's who was entertaining her lady friends over drinks on a Monday and simply ran in, hit the button, let the techno music play, made them dance, and then left. They were like, "You're not staying?" and I was like, "Nope. I'm too stressed and can't stay, but I wanted to be true to my spirit and give you a lil' dance party before I disappear for several weeks."

So, when I read the article, I thought....hmmm...what would happen if I operated like the majority of academics I know and took the summer off to write and not teach or run institutes or lead youth literacy labs or write grants to make sure it all happens. What if I just stopped?"

It's an interesting question as I age, because the resentment builds and builds and builds. I have had several on campus who have smugly told me that once you are promoted you have permission to quietly quit. That's not me (and I have colleagues who have not been promoted who act like they've already quit). Never been quite sure about the accountability of those who exit the game, but still claim the salary. In my hallway, except for a couple of individuals, the doors stay shut year round. I only hear about how busy they are...then, in spring peer review, learn they really aren't doing anything but continue to come back year after year. 

Could I live with myself doing that life? I don't think so, but I can sit under the boulder during a brief stint of rest to contemplate such questions.

Faryl Edelyn, the counselor I adored in KY who worked tirelessly for kids, said of the administrator who replace an administrator we all adored (who also worked tirelessly), "It's never good to clip the wings of the worker bees." That's what has happened in recent years...the ones who work, who give it their all, and who achieve results, are sprayed with Raid and swatted with swatters.

I guess I'll never get it. My satisfaction comes from the teachers I work with, the students I adore, and the National Writing Project network who carries out the mission. 

As for most others, I guess I just wonder how they get away with not even having to try to push a boulder up a hill. They hide behind it smoking cigarettes and complaining without making any efforts to do anything at all.

Yep. Here we go again. Another July!