The Doldrums

Did you know that the doldrums is a place, like on the planet? It is the area around the equator where the air rises but the winds are calm to non-existent. If you are a ship, especially one that operates on wind power, you generally want to stay with the trade winds and out of the doldrums.

And I am in the metaphorical equivalent.

Out of the pressure and flurry of end-of-term. I don't know if the end-of-term work load is actually any heavier, but it feels heavier. We are exausted and surrounded by others who are. But deadlines must be met; grades must be turned in; the wind pushes you along.

And then it stops.

And there is a pile of things that have been waiting for you. Things you said you would do as soon as the term was over. Important things. Educators, common belief to the contrary, do not get summers off. The nature of the work just changes. There is an entirely new course to be planned; assessment data to be gathered, summarized and evaluated. There is major writing to be done. And of course the bookstore manager may come to my home with a large pointed stick if I don't turn in my long over-due book orders.

But there is time to work on quilt blocks for the block exchange. It is the perfect project for using up piles of left over fabric. I even drafted some patterns of my own, and looked forward to the summer when I could work on it.

But now it is an uninspiring pile of fabric. Getting the sewing machine out of the closet feels like too much work.

There is no wind.

And I think I should delete this post because it has nothing to do with care or even parenting. I told myself when I started this blog that I wasn't going to assume that people would be interested in my reporting on my moods. What is more boring than a post from someone complaining about being enervated?

Yep. Definitely the doldrums.