Today (and I am writing this on Saturday), shortly after I complete this post, I’m heading off for a very quick trip to Oslo. We’re going to see Verdi’s opera Un ballo in maschera. It’s a tale of murder and splendor, intrigue and drama. I’ve never seen an opera before. I am ready for a new adventure.
I’ve spent the last week finalizing a short story to begin sending out to publications. The story is “Trust Me,” which is about an overgrown lawn, but mostly about anxiety. With two rounds of invaluable feedback from my writing group, I’ve poked and prodded it into a shape I feel really good about. At the same time, after so many read-throughs, I felt my wheels spinning. I was tinkering.
Sometime soon, I want to write a post here about perfectionism in writing, as much for myself as for anyone. I’m definitely someone who waits until my draft feels perfect before I send it anywhere, which makes me painstakingly slow. I hope to move towards greater balance. As I said once and often don’t follow, then as my mom quotes back to me, “Let good enough be good enough.”
Work is also rearing its head. This week I completed a set of oral exams, and on the other side of them I realized how little time remains before official IB exams in early May. In alarm yesterday I set about to make plans to squeeze remaining necessary lessons, assessments, and activities into too little space. It feels like triage. I hope the students will be prepared. I hope everything will get done in time.
I’m going to end here–I have a bit of work I need to do before I depart, then the last of the packing, and breakfast, and then I have a flight to Oslo later this morning. Best wishes to you all, and thank you for stopping by to read.
With love,
Jimmy
Words like trees 