Relaxation: The Dementor, Dumb & Dumber, & Daily Writing

Day 13: What do you do to take time out for yourself?

I gain energy from interaction with others.  This makes me sound like a vaguely creepy but benign Dementor.  Truly, I am most energized after a meeting of the minds with colleagues. So this idea of taking time for myself is not exactly energizing--it seems almost counter-productive.  

Yet paradoxically, I also crave silence.  When I'm home alone, the house is quiet.  When my husband and son are home, all the TVs are on.  Playing different channels.  And nobody's watching.  They just like the company, I guess.  The over-stimulation drives me crazy, and I completely shut down mentally.

I'm not good with this whole balance thing. Consistency is probably my most fatal of all my flaws. My life is a series of hot and cold streaks: I feed my soul and then I starve it because I suffer from hyper-focus. Once I'm interested in something, it's nearly impossible for me to pay attention to anything else.  

I wish for my family's sake, that what energized me was cooking and cleaning. Lucky for me, they are kind and forgiving.  And self-sufficient.  

Right now, I am enjoying quality time with my husband and son: watching Dumb & Dumber on Netflix. Escapism through mindless adolescent comedy is a great bonding activity.  Honestly, I like to watch my husband laugh more than anything.  And watching him enjoying this oldie anew with our son is fantastic! They are doubled-over and nearly crying with laughter.  Is there any activity more energizing than this? My addiction to crude, gross-out comedy earns me some street cred with my students when I get (what they think are) their inside jokes.

My solitary escape, since I was very young, is that I read a tremendous amount of books. This is my favorite aspect to my job because a major component of my classes is independent reading, and I can't make recommendations to kids about books they'd like unless I'm reading books they'd like. My son has both inherited and learned this escapist activity from me.  I love watching him curled up with a book. His latest obsession is the Eragon series.  We often sneak up to bed early with books whenever we can.  Sometimes, he will still let me read to him.  Another way I take time for myself is that I eat lunch alone in my classroom and read.  My rocking chair, a book, and some hot chai make the time relaxing.  I don't go anywhere without a book (or three) and my Kindle. Just in case.

Whether I am crafting with words or with needles, creating is the most soul-satisfying activity. I love spinning my own yarn on the spinning wheel. The click-clack of the pedals and the fiber running through my fingers are soothing.  I love knitting with yarn from the fiber of my own sheep. (My dear husband takes excellent care of them for me.) One of my winter projects is to recycle wool sweaters into new projects. Right now I have a blanket of recycled cashmere squares that I'm working on, and I'm hoping to finish it this winter. That will truly be a luxury to wrap up in the recliner for naps! I have Christmas stockings I'm trying to knit--and time is suddenly flying faster toward that event.

Meanwhile, my fingers are itching for the keyboard every day in a way I haven't craved in a long time.  Daily writing, selecting just-right words, (or just-right-for-now words) has been a joy. Knowing I will get response from my dear friends and co-bloggers Melissa, Allison, Brittany and Kimberly, along with various new readers, is motivating me more than I thought possible.  As my students venture into their own 30 Day Writing Challenge, I'm so excited for them to experience this joy in their own growth.  And write along with them.