Sliding into home plate

When I started writing this blog way back on the first day of school in September 2019, the aim was to record some thoughts about stuff that happened, stuff that I left an impression on me, and stuff I felt strongly about. I envisioned that I would find enough topics to maybe write a few posts ... silly me, I know I have a lot of opinions ... but my goal was to do something to celebrate the final year of my educational journey by recording those thoughts in a single place so that I could look back on them whenever the mood struck. 

This post will be #98 and I have decided that the final total will top out at 100 ... or at least take a "summer vacation" to recharge and refresh. I have maintained a Word document containing all of the posts, and on the advice of my former Barrie North mate Kevin Simms, I plan to print the posts and bind them into some type of book. The lure of cozying up with a wee dram sometime in the future, revisiting what was important to me during this year, is like a mouth-watering cinnamon dessert cooling on the kitchen counter.

Over my educational experience, I have been tasked with a variety of writing exercises, and if I'm honest, a low percentage made my personal enjoyment scale. Most were tolerable, some (graduating thesis) were painful, but a handful tickled my inner muse. I would guess that those last few were the impetus for this escapade. I can honestly admit that I have thoroughly enjoyed penning all of the posts, but the accompanying catharsis within the action was an added bonus. As always with artistic works, the favourite of the masses rarely matches the favourite of the artist, perpetually a source of intrigue as I scan the statistics available with the blogging program I am using. While mostly a whimsy of internal benefit, it is quite externally satisfying to receive positive comments about things I've shared.

I have to admit that I was a little intimidated by the task, once I had decided to venture down the path. While that may surprise some since I am well known for sharing my opinions, those that know me well will likely have had an inclination about my trepidation. Much like the "Little Engine" though, I gathered confidence with each writing, and that confidence gifted me with creative energy to "steam" straight ahead, achieving far more than I could have hoped for.

This is an exercise that I would encourage all of my friends and colleagues to investigate as they near the culmination of their own work journey. The ability to recount the good times, the tough times, the thrills, the disappointments and even the surprises of your years is truly good for the soul. In this day and age of Social Media, it is relatively easy to find a vehicle to share your thoughts, and for relatively little investment, other than time in front of your computer. It was the ever growing enjoyment, once I had made the decision to cap it off at 100 posts, that sparked producing a "hard" copy of all those thoughts would provide a source of comfort like a favourite blanket, warming the soul as I replay the enshrined memories.

Being a closet perfectionist, there is a portion of my soul that would have preferred reaching that 100-post benchmark within the boundaries of the school year, despite retiring at the halfway point. Having said that, it really wasn't solely about education, so hemming it into the constraints of an educational timeline makes little sense. I'll readily admit that there were times when I struggled to decide upon a topic that was worthy of publishing, but also admit that a few posts "died" on the editing table due largely to their passing fancy. 

I have discovered that in my personal case, recording details of memorable events when they happened would likely have resulted in quite a number more available topics since I have conformed to the stereotypical cloudy memory status of a person my age. The high school years are fairly clear, but the trials of the elementary classroom are like wisps of smoke, barely perceptible images much like the remnants of dream. I can recall hundreds of faces ... something that has been a talent for many years ... but the finer details of the day to day escape my recollection. Even the names become a challenge, often leading to, "I remember your face but your name escapes me. Sorry." conversations when I encounter a past student or colleague.

It behooves me to pay homage to those that have reached out during this 100-step process with their offering of thanks for the good feelings that reading my thoughts have brought them. As already stated, the intrinsic rewards of penning these thoughts was reward enough, but knowing that they shone spread light into the darkness is "icing on the cake" as it were. With sincere thanks, I applaud your tithings of support. 

Thanks for reading!