The Day After Halloween
This is largely influenced by the fact that I work at a school, so please consider these thoughts from the perspective of someone who has to deal with kids and adults who are working through candy hangovers, extreme exhaustion, and post-holiday let down.
I spent two hours yesterday, (mostly) comfortably ensconced in the back of my car, in my Trunk or Treat set-up. I was a stuffed animal, and it was very successful! I was warm, I was comfortable, and I only freaked out a couple of little kids. I don't mind freaking out the big kids or the adults, but the littles don't need to be scared. If I ever find my phone again in the mess of stuffed animals, poster boards, candy bags, sleeping bag, and various and sundry other materials, I'll post a picture of my set-up (mainly so I can remember what I did and replicate it next year!). My hands and feet were warm, and I think I was the most comfortable person on the entire parking lot!
I have lots of candy left. I was told to prepare for 800 kids and I think only 400 arrived. I kept the good stuff for later, so I have two very large bags of candy to consume over the next several months. This is a good thing and a bad thing. If it is here, I am less likely to eat it, but it will be here.
So, after the hoopla at school and the hoopla of Trunk or Treat, I ended up crashing into my bed about an hour later than usual. Not too bad, but I also had difficulty waking up this morning. This is the first reason that I wish that the day after Halloween would ALWAYS be a day off! I'm exhausted!! Good thing that group therapy is finished for the week on this Friday. I only have to do some thinking and stocking the store.
It is time to start planning for November events. I always feel that Thanksgiving gets short-shrift this time of year, stuck as it is between Halloween and Christmas. I also think that Thanksgiving is one of our better holidays. (Not the food, I do not enjoy the food.) So, I usually spend a big amount of my time in clinical sessions talking about gratitude and the importance of thanking others for the good things that they bring to life.
Most Novembers, though, have been very short for me because of my attendance at the national conference. This is the first time in 26 years that I have not attended conference. I decided that I was just plain bored of the same old presentations, the cost was a bit much for me since I took an actual, non-music therapy related vacation, and I didn't have any ideas that I wanted to share to the same old people. I took a courageous (at least for me, this was an act of courage) step into not doing something that has become less of a joy and more of a chore recently. I am now facing a full November of music therapy sessions - something that I have NEVER done before, but I know I can do it! We'll see what my stress level looks like this year compared to last year at this time to see if conference is something that refreshes me or saps my energy. If you are going to conference, enjoy! If you are not, then let's have a good week here at our respective homes!!
In the meantime, I am going to get ready to go to work for my planning/preparation/supervision day. My body is tired, my head is spinning, and I am very thankful that my planning schedule allows me to be quiet today. It is sorely needed!
Happy November, all!
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