Early Morning Musings
Early mornings tend to bring out the philosophical thoughts in me. I don't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing. Right now, I'm thinking about the nature of illness and life, about music and it's elements, and about what to make for breakfast and lunch. I'm also wondering where the strange mosquito bites seem to be coming from. I seem to wake up with a new one every day. Strange ideas and thoughts during the morning, but the type of thing that happens on a regular basis.
In the past week, two people who have occasionally touched my life passed away. While I wasn't involved in their daily routines at all, I did spend some time with them and will miss them when I go back into those typical interactions. While I am sad about their deaths, I rejoice for the opportunities to share in small parts of their lives.
About music - I always feel guilty that I don't listen to more music during my off-work hours, but that feeling almost always passes quickly. I played my cornet in public for the first time in 22 years yesterday. One of the kids at the church where I work plays, and his mom thought it would be a good idea for us to play a duet. So, I pulled out the cornet and practiced the alto line of Joyful, Joyful. All of this practicing was complicated by the fact that the kid got braces on his teeth two weeks ago, so his playing was different from last month. My lip is still not up to snuff, and he's having to learn a completely new way to play the trumpet. Still, we did a pretty good job of playing. As we were practicing, I realized a couple of things. First, being my age has lots of advantages when it comes to musicality. Second, it is a wonderful thing to watch someone grow up from an infant and then empower them to be the leader. Third, the people in our church love us and are VERY forgiving when it comes to the occasional missed note and squawk! Thank goodness!!
Last Friday, I filled my commute with Disney music. Usually I listen to a television show, but Friday needed music. So, I turned my Disney playlist on shuffle, and off I went. I sang and sang and skipped songs and then sang some more. It was fun and lifted my mood from ho-hum to happy to be home. If nothing else, I think that is one of the most powerful results of placing music into the environment. The right songs can vector difficult moods into less difficult moods.
So, it's now time to get ready to go to work. This is another week in four buildings; renovations are not finished yet. We still have no idea or timeline for when classrooms will be finished. Classroom materials are strewn from one end of the facility to the other, and nobody knows where things are. There isn't much education going on. All of the new curricula are web-based, and there are no smart boards and we have limited internet access in the classrooms. Also, all the new curricula are targeted towards the new classroom assignments that will occur when we move into the new building. Most of this doesn't affect me, but the level of frustration in the teaching staff is seeping into how students interact with each other and with me, so I get to assist students in releasing their emotions. It's a bit disorienting.
I am doing a better job of getting myself to work at the right time rather than early. My parents did an excellent job of installing the trait of punctuality in me, but I got the overdose - I feel that being on time is just plain old late. I'm trying to get over this feeling when it comes to work. I don't get paid extra for getting to work early, so why do I go? It is taking some cognitive retraining on my part, but I expect that it will become natural in a couple of weeks. We'll see.
As for breakfast and lunch, I have decided.
Breakfast this morning is lo mein and cashew chicken. Lunch will be a baked potato, cottage cheese, ranch dressing, and ham (or bacon). In addition, I have packed chocolate pudding and mandarin oranges as my "go-withs." It's nice to have a couple of decisions made for the day.
Happy morning!
In the past week, two people who have occasionally touched my life passed away. While I wasn't involved in their daily routines at all, I did spend some time with them and will miss them when I go back into those typical interactions. While I am sad about their deaths, I rejoice for the opportunities to share in small parts of their lives.
About music - I always feel guilty that I don't listen to more music during my off-work hours, but that feeling almost always passes quickly. I played my cornet in public for the first time in 22 years yesterday. One of the kids at the church where I work plays, and his mom thought it would be a good idea for us to play a duet. So, I pulled out the cornet and practiced the alto line of Joyful, Joyful. All of this practicing was complicated by the fact that the kid got braces on his teeth two weeks ago, so his playing was different from last month. My lip is still not up to snuff, and he's having to learn a completely new way to play the trumpet. Still, we did a pretty good job of playing. As we were practicing, I realized a couple of things. First, being my age has lots of advantages when it comes to musicality. Second, it is a wonderful thing to watch someone grow up from an infant and then empower them to be the leader. Third, the people in our church love us and are VERY forgiving when it comes to the occasional missed note and squawk! Thank goodness!!
Last Friday, I filled my commute with Disney music. Usually I listen to a television show, but Friday needed music. So, I turned my Disney playlist on shuffle, and off I went. I sang and sang and skipped songs and then sang some more. It was fun and lifted my mood from ho-hum to happy to be home. If nothing else, I think that is one of the most powerful results of placing music into the environment. The right songs can vector difficult moods into less difficult moods.
So, it's now time to get ready to go to work. This is another week in four buildings; renovations are not finished yet. We still have no idea or timeline for when classrooms will be finished. Classroom materials are strewn from one end of the facility to the other, and nobody knows where things are. There isn't much education going on. All of the new curricula are web-based, and there are no smart boards and we have limited internet access in the classrooms. Also, all the new curricula are targeted towards the new classroom assignments that will occur when we move into the new building. Most of this doesn't affect me, but the level of frustration in the teaching staff is seeping into how students interact with each other and with me, so I get to assist students in releasing their emotions. It's a bit disorienting.
I am doing a better job of getting myself to work at the right time rather than early. My parents did an excellent job of installing the trait of punctuality in me, but I got the overdose - I feel that being on time is just plain old late. I'm trying to get over this feeling when it comes to work. I don't get paid extra for getting to work early, so why do I go? It is taking some cognitive retraining on my part, but I expect that it will become natural in a couple of weeks. We'll see.
As for breakfast and lunch, I have decided.
Breakfast this morning is lo mein and cashew chicken. Lunch will be a baked potato, cottage cheese, ranch dressing, and ham (or bacon). In addition, I have packed chocolate pudding and mandarin oranges as my "go-withs." It's nice to have a couple of decisions made for the day.
Happy morning!
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