June 3, 2009
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1 Nothing is real, and nothing to get hung about.
2 It doesn't matter how many years I do this, I'm always amazed when we hit the final days of school.
3 At some point it feels as though all of it will go on forever. But yesterday's meeting told us that we have a tonna work left to do.
4 For one thing, the closing out of a year is always a buncha boushit where we have to get around six-hundred things done and signed off before leaving for summer.
5 Not that I mind, mind you.
6 But we have to get this sign-out sheet done where we have to put together a gradebook, give finals, grade finals in one day, calculate all the grades, sign every sheet, turn in every book, get clearance from the library, the bank, and a billion other things, all the while reading and grading papers.
7 Naturally, I take to the couch and pull a blanket over me eyes every time someone gives me too much stuff to do.
8 It's all necessary, and an annual ritual. All of it tends to get done when I am having my classes watch Taming of the Shrew.
9 This year's meeting was a bit unique in that many staff members will not be returning due to the economy. It is a sad, sad thing to see, and a proud thing as well, watching those people keeping their heads up and continuing to do everything they can as professionals. We're losing our receptionist, who is awesome and amazing, our bank lady, who calls herself The Bank Lady and is the heart and soul of the ASB kids, our bookroom guy (they are planning on giving the students five or six books on the first day of school), and several young, incredible teachers, all of whom are working hard, and continuing to do everything they can for the students.
10 It's happening everywhere I realize, but still.
11 Sad, sad, sad.
12 Moving on: The end of the school year also means the end of the DN for the summer, so next Friday will be the last DN until August. I'll probably throw a summer piece in there at some point just to say hi, but it's truly what keeps the DN from being just another blog.
13 The DN defined the blog, in my humble opinion! Haha, it will go into its fourteenth year next fall. Online it's been going on since around 2002, maybe earlier as I have some old ones posted on www.ybdrama.com, but I rarely go there anymore.
14 I also have a HUGE hard copies of old DN's going back to 1998, even though the DN started in 1996 during our production of Guys and Dolls, which remains one of the classics.
15 This pre-dated blogs by perhaps centuries. It was originally a means of talking to everybody involved in the musical, and was posted in the hallway of the performing arts building. At first it was reasonably factual, but after a while, I decided to add things that would make people laugh in the morning.
16 I used to love sneaking in, posting it, and the sitting in the office while everyone would come in and read it.
17 As alumni would visit, I'd send copies, and eventually, I had people receiving copies from all over the place. I now have people going all the way back to my very first day of teaching at YB reading this, and staying in touch.
18 And the fun thing is, I never really think it's about me; it's more about a shared past, and how somehow we all have been thrown on board this crazy ship that is called the present, and face the same uncertainties, idiocies, democracies, elections, inspections, causes, bosses, productions, deductions, hopes, dreams, moronic schemes, babies, maybes, tears, fears, strokes, jokes, scars, cars, and cheap cigars and we're all fighting the good fight as we continue this voyage to goodness knows where.
19 And each day we drag ourselves outta bed and do the best we know how.
20 It makes me proud just to know people can still do all that and yet can continue to smile and enjoy listening to a bird singing on an early morning in June, when it all seems to slow down a bit and the days stretch out enough for us to stretch out with them.
21 I hope all of you go out and enjoy the day today. Take some time for yourselves, and in your mind, tell whoever is driving you crazy that they just aren't important today.
22 And then eat chocolate.
23 And read meaning in a cloud.
24 Thanks for being you.
25 Peace.
~H~
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