As the new school year opens before us we have to convince our bodies to cooperate with us. We were in the habit of going to bed when we were sleepy, getting out of bed when our bodies were awake enough to do so, eating when we were hungry, and going to the restroom when nature called. Newsflash: we are not in nature anymore...we are in public education. Far from the land of OZ there are no Glindas nearby to wave a star-topped wand over our heads granting our every wish. We eat when we are told-if we can make it through the cafeteria line in time. We know better than to hydrate ourselves since using the restroom is a luxury we simply cannot afford to have. We force ourselves to go to bed way earlier than we have for the past two and a half months knowing that we will pay the consequences if we don't. The trouble is our internal clocks are not in sync with our alarm clocks. We toss and we turn and end up falling asleep hours after lying in bed. When our alarm sounds before the rooster's first crow our brain and our bodies are not on speaking terms.
During the lazy months of summer I drank coffee at leisure...and I didn't even need it because I was so caught up on my sleep. Now that I could use a jolt of caffeine to rev my engine I am too tired to make it, doctor it, pour it and drink it. In fact, I am usually dashing around so much in the mornings that I leave the house without even having a single cup. What a mixed up scenario!
Going back to the OZ comparison -I am now surrounded by hundreds of munchkins who all want my time. While they are certainly cute and their little kid voices make my day, they are still munchkins and I am outnumbered. Like Dorothy I have my friends who journey throughout the school year with me and I couldn't make it without them. They all already have hearts of gold and brains to match; and they show courage on a daily basis. We may be tired and we may be hungry but in the end the kids are our reason for setting that darn alarm.
I love what I do even though on any given day I feel more like the man behind the curtain than Dorothy...always trying to make it appear like I know what I am doing. But, like Dorothy, while it's always an interesting day where I work there is still no place like home.
During the lazy months of summer I drank coffee at leisure...and I didn't even need it because I was so caught up on my sleep. Now that I could use a jolt of caffeine to rev my engine I am too tired to make it, doctor it, pour it and drink it. In fact, I am usually dashing around so much in the mornings that I leave the house without even having a single cup. What a mixed up scenario!
Going back to the OZ comparison -I am now surrounded by hundreds of munchkins who all want my time. While they are certainly cute and their little kid voices make my day, they are still munchkins and I am outnumbered. Like Dorothy I have my friends who journey throughout the school year with me and I couldn't make it without them. They all already have hearts of gold and brains to match; and they show courage on a daily basis. We may be tired and we may be hungry but in the end the kids are our reason for setting that darn alarm.
I love what I do even though on any given day I feel more like the man behind the curtain than Dorothy...always trying to make it appear like I know what I am doing. But, like Dorothy, while it's always an interesting day where I work there is still no place like home.
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