We interrupt the SS series to bring you some thoughts for the holidays, especially if we’re wearing similar shoes!
A friend of mine did some mathematical stats on the number of hours teachers work compared to ‘normal’ workers like you non-teachers. You can read it here (if the link does not work for you, holla and I’ll copy and paste it at the bottom of this post). The summary of the post is that teachers generally have an equivalent of 2 weeks of holidays per year, so be nice to your teacher friends, eh!!
So I had my first half term break for this academic year some weeks back and I was determined not to let the break break away from me nor allow myself coast through it but be productive – feed my mind, body, soul and spirit. This mindset kept me in action mode and I maintained, give or take half an hour, my sleep routine. I was exhausted by the week leading to the break, getting out of the bed needed a good portion of self-talk! But get out I did!
Image credit: 123RF
Now here’s a breakdown of what I did. Nothing special but I just thought I’ll share with you. I had a better dose of spending time with GOD all these days! Shweet!!
Friday – From work, I went to the movies to see ‘Magnificent 7’ with my brother-man. He was treating me as part of my birthday celebration. He pulled his card out each time and I felt super special. He paid for parking; paid for the B&J’s ice-cream I’ve been craving since he said we were going out; paid for the movie tickets; paid for the meal after; carried my bag at some point; offered his jacket for me to rest my head; prayed for my knee that was acting up! I know his wife would be a happy wife, if I have to say so myself!
If not that he didn’t have a driving licence, he’d have driven us too, but better safe than sorry, init? So I drove instead. Little to ask with how much time and money he spent on me given his limited resources!
THANK YOU, BRO!!
Saturday – house maintenance with the landlord, visiting a ‘new’ family I’d met at a friend’s church, having dinner with them.
Sunday – church, then cooking and cleaning our place of residence. Again, when brother hoovers, it’s like all the dirt surrenders easier than when I do it.
Monday – releasing my hair from the prison of kinky twists while getting spiritually fed by messages from Bethel TV online; washing newly released hair and putting it in the half-way house of big twists to settle down before it is sent back under lock and key of braids for the new half term.
Tuesday – catching up on school work – marking and planning for the coming week.
Wednesday – falling sick! Diarrhoea! It looks like the bodies of teachers sorta learn they can’t afford to fall sick except they desperately need to shut down. And then once there’s a break from teaching, they start manifesting. I had boils too! In two places. Haba!!
Thursday – spiritual servicing time; car servicing time; hair servicing time. The last service put me on Nurofen tablets and compulsory early bedtime. The lady’s hands were so tight, it was as if she was vexed that my hair was natural and soft. She gave me a theory that because she wove my hair damp, it shrunk after weaving thereby pulling my scalp. Abeg, hair specialists, help me with this theory. It doesn’t make sense to me. More on the drama that unfolded from this one salon visit in later posts.
Friday – doing what I love doing: writing. I was able to draft 3 posts given that I had a 21-day spell of not writing at all last month and I wanted to keep that from happening again once this second half term started.
Saturday – road trip to Leeds with the brother-man to see friends and do something different. I’m trying to have a life or else work and school will dictate how I live.
Sunday – church, shopping and cooking for the week ahead; some school work too and resting.
Moral of this story: as much as lieth in you, seize the days and make it count. Make time to do what thou lovest. Like I learnt recently from Bethel TV, find out what feeds your spirit, soul and body and incorporate those into your life as much as possible. Know what you can do and don’t allow yourself cop out till it’s done. Then you can breathe easier and have fewer things hanging over your head, nibbling and nagging at you like little foxes that spoil the vine of your peace.
P.S.: I’m preaching to myself too!
To your growth and productivity, Happy Christmas and . . .