Pre-Dawn: A Day of Many Meetings

Today is a day of many meetings.  It's the kind of day in the life of an administrator that I like least.

We have an All-School meeting in the morning.  Then we have a faculty meeting in the afternoon.  I close my day at work by having a Library Committee meeting.  And then, I head over to my church for a Church Council meeting.

In a way, I like having all the meetings done in one day.  But just the thought of it exhausts me before the day even starts.

Part of my problem is that I get to the meeting already knowing much of the information that will be given.  I wonder if I was a faculty member who primarily taught classes, would I feel the same way?  I'd resent meetings for a whole different set of reasons, I imagine.

I will take some other work with me:  transcripts to evaluate (if any came in yesterday after I left the office) and some writing projects.  But I don't work well with a meeting happening.  For one thing, it feels rude.  For another thing, there are too many distractions.

My other issue with work days that are consumed with meetings:  it's not like little elves are back in the office doing my work.  Transcripts will still come in to be evaluated.  Students with complaints will not go away.  There are reports that need to be written.  I will get back to my office tomorrow with a backlog of work, even though I was at work.

Let me take some deep breaths.  Let me remember to take deep breaths throughout the day.  Let me always be cognizant of the fact that I have a job, and my days of drudgery are thankfully few and far between.  Let me always remember that I am paid well to go to a day of many meetings.

And maybe I could go a bit further.  It's time to return to some goals that don't involve buying a house.  Let me spend some time thinking about what I'd still like to accomplish this summer.  It's been a LONG time since I sent out a batch of poems to anyone.  It's been an even longer time since I sent out my book length poetry manuscript.  I have been working on my memoir draft in fits and spurts, and I'd like to get back to a more sustained effort.

As I move through this day, let me try my best to adopt a mindset of gratitude.  I'm lucky to have this job which so rarely requires a day of many meetings.  I'm lucky to like, truly like, most of my colleagues.  I'm lucky to have a church that I like so much that I'm willing to serve on Council.  I'm lucky that I have a brain that continues to be inspired in quirky ways--maybe I'll get some wonderful poems out of this day or a scene in a short story.