Thoughts on Seriousness

I had the opportunity to see Rend Collective in concert last night. I love this group! After the show my daughter said something like, "It's like we went to a concert and it turned into church, but in the best way." She's right about that--these folks are out to worship, and invite those gathered for the show to shift from "watchers" into "participants." You can't hardly help yourself when you see their infectious joy and celebration!

I don't know what my favorite part of the evening was. We talked about it on our drive home. Here are a few things I love about this group:

Running on Empty

My lack of writing over the past couple of weeks tells at least part of the story: it's been hectic.

Two weeks ago I was at a conference, which was a fantastic opportunity for professional development and networking with colleagues. But there is preparation for being away from campus for several days. My students know, "Mulder never cancels class!--if I'm away, we meet online instead, or they have workdays for ongoing projects. And then there is the catching up once I'm back. (Email has become the bane of my existence.) As it happened, all of my classes had some sort of project or test scheduled for that same week as well. And of course, along with this pile of marking, it was also advising season, which means lots of extra meetings with advisees. I truly enjoy the work of advising students, but it's busy, and every situation is unique, which means individual planning, preparation, and problem-solving. And, in the midst of all of this, my dear aunt passed away, and so I was off and away for several days for a funeral, including hurried plans for online class meetings for the time I'd be away.

It's been hectic.

I'm tired.

Exhausted, really.

I'm running on empty.