I know it’s been a while. Don’t hate.

I am back in the groove, in an array of ways. I’m writing, teaching, researching, cleaning, cooking… To cut to the chase, I just feel like I’m living normally again. In the past month, my family has moved from a two bedroom apartment to a house where everyone has their own room. (I finally have an office!)  Hallelujah! I also went back to the classroom, and in addition to teaching 11th and 12th graders, I’ve added wrangling 10th graders to my repertoire.

Finding a steady pace has seemed impossible, that is, until I dropped my phone in the sink (with the water running). That evening my phone threw a tantrum in response, and I don’t blame her. Yes. You read that right, I referred to my phone as a her, and her name is Clementine. So, I gave Clementine a time out. She spent three whole days in a bowl of dry rice.

While the rice absorbed all of the water hiding in the nooks and crannies of Clementine, I took some time to be ‘self-absorbed’. I stepped away from social media, and limited the number of times I could check my email each day. Why? Do you ask?  So that I could turn all of my attention on something way more interesting. My noggin’. Now, I don’t mean that in a braggy-I’m-a-genius-way, but in a we-all-have-something-to-contribute-way. I became absorbed in an idea that I had several months ago, and it blew up in my brain. The story, characters, and metaphor exploded in a way that inspired me to get my writing rear in gear.

It would not have been feasible to expect such motivation when absorbed in my phone and all of its distracting apps. Don’t get me wrong, I love me some Instagram and Twitter. You can even follow me if you want. (Shameless plug.) I’d just like to encourage you to take a step away on occasion, whether it’s one day, or three, or (God forbid) seven days. You will be surprised at what you learn you have to offer. I really believe that!