Ever since I started my weight loss blog, I’ve been writing much less frequently on this one. Because weight loss is my main focus (almost like a part-time job), it makes sense that I have more to write about that topic than any other. Still, sometimes I feel badly that this blog, the one I started blogging with, gets pushed back to second-class citizen status.
One thing that seems appropriate to write about here is how I’ve been doing on my quest to “get a life.” Last August, I wrote a post where I vowed to take back my life and stop living to work instead of just working to live.
I’m happy to report that I am now a reformed workaholic.
It wasn’t easy. At first I felt like I was really sloughing off on my duties at work. “I really should go to the play this weekend.” “The students would really like it if I went to that football/basketball/soccer game,” etc. Instead of feeding into this guilt trip I was laying on myself, I just said no. I took myself off of the numerous committees I had been serving on and kept only those that I felt were the most important.
Did I feel like I was out of the loop? Yes. Did I crave being “in the know” the way I was when I served on lots of different committees and attended tons of school events? Sure, sometimes. But that feeling of being slightly out of the dialed in group was well worth the time and energy I found now that I wasn’t spending so much time and effort at work.
It was a strange year for me because CTLB, my best friend at school and one of my best friends in life, left. I felt a lot lonlier than I had in the past 4 years, when were were “joined at the hip.” But before you start feeling too sorry for me, I do have an amazing group of friends at school, and we all eat lunch together every day, so it’s not like I sit alone in my classroom and grade papers while I eat a stale sandwich. (That would never, ever be me, by the way). We also had a new principal this year, and that made for a lot of changes. Good changes, but still, there were a lot of things going on this year that left me feeling out of sorts a lot of time time.
But my life outside of the work day was fantastic! I found that I had tons of free time, and I used it to try new activities, reach out to old friends and make some new ones, spend lots more time with my family, and just enjoy myself by doing whatever I wanted to do – riding my bike, reading a great (or trashy) book, watching movies, cooking, etc.
It seemed idyllic until the school said they were looking for someone to teach a “summer school after school” class. I saw dollar signs and knew that if I taught the class I would have the money I needed for a down payment on my new car AND I wouldn’t have to work this summer. So, beginning after February break, I gave up 60 hours+ of free time and taught the class. (This may not sound like a lot, but this is on top of teaching 5 other classes. Not to mention grading and prepping for 6 classes). It is something that I’m glad I did (for the money), but will never do again. It’s just not worth giving up that much of my life.
All in all, I loved having my life back. I felt like I was a better teacher because I could look at things from a well rested, happy point of view. I plan on doing more of the same this coming school year. Actually, it should be even better because I’m only teaching one honors class, which will dramatically cut down on my paperload. Can’t wait.
Ok, enough writing, time to get out there and LIVE!
Thriller was the first record I ever owned. Yes, it was vinyl. I loved it. I played it over and over again on the turntable in my room. My mom even let my sister and me watch the video on MTV. (We weren’t allowed to watch other videos on MTV because my mom thought they were a bad influence. Little did she know that every time she left the house to go grocery shopping, MTV was the first channel we tuned to).
So, July 3rd – QUIT DAY.
I just finished one of the best books I have read in a long time. It’s called 
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