Two Weeks Into the New Year and I'm Already Craving A Buddhist Sanctuary And Sanity In the Chaos

I did take a week off, I swear I did. I did. I did. I did.

And then I returned to January: 1,100 kids for Literacy4Life event, the MLK Essay contest, the Youth Leadership Academy, NCTE proposals, grant applications, a new semester, professional development to lead in schools, the LRNG grant and ordering items, the Assignments Matters event, chapters to finish editing, and the good ol' February 1st dossier.

Kill me. I'm trying to stay sane, really I am.

Actually, when I drove home yesterday I decided that the first thing I need to do is head back out to the gym. It's too wet to run and exercise keeps me focused and sane. That was successful and I was able to return for another three hours of productivity.

But, before I went to sleep I began thinking about enlightenment, the passion I have for the Siddhartha story, the goal of finding true peace while living on earth, the art of meditation, and true bliss 24/7 and 365 days a year and I grew bummed. I'm far from such happiness and like the cartoon above I'm wondering, "Are we there yet?"

Since the new year, several of my favorite minds have written that they're tired of the rat race and looking for a more sane, calmer existence. Some are choosing to go off the grid and away from social media. Others are prioritizing their families over their academic life. I simply want to have mental relaxation from time to time. The academic life is all encompassing and, sadly, I believe that the vast majority of the work and stress is sucked up in a vacuum of total uselessness, ego, and other esoteric shenanigans. That work I despise.

But working with kids and teachers, being out in schools, helping someone move towards their next goal, and offering advice and insight I love. For several years I had that bliss in Kentucky. But times change, ideas shift, and one must move on.

I guess I'm still taking a trip towards nirvana and wondering if I'll ever get there. Most likely, this won't occur until there is eternal sleep which, now that I think about it, seems to be the stress-free utopia so many of us seek. Ah, but not yet. There's too much work to be done.