Networking or Nourishment

After a grueling week, it was good to gather with friends last night in downtown Hollywood.  Our neighborhood civic association held a wine social at Hollywood Vine.

We drank our 2 glasses of wine and talked to our friends, whom we already knew.  I thought that I should move around and network--or at least meet my neighbors.  But frankly, I didn't feel like it.

Our friends have a second grade child who grew restless, so we moved on.  A few doors down, we came to a beer garden.  I use the word garden very loosely.  The back area looks out on the alley and parking lots.  But the white lights strung above the wooden picnic tables appealed--plus, we didn't have to shout the way we had at the wine shop.

As we drank our beers, I watched the people come and go--what an amazing diversity.  Tiredness began to take over, and soon we walked back to our cars.  It was a nice way to end the week.

I'm grateful that most weeks aren't so grueling.  I do feel a bit of fear that my work life is about to become more grueling.

Late in the afternoon, we got official word of whose offer of voluntary separation was accepted.  I only know about my faculty.  I'm interested to see what happened in other departments--and I'd like to know more about the larger implications.

Those answers will come later.  For now I need to focus on what needs to be done most immediately.

My online short story class starts Thursday.  I need to get all the changes finalized and entered into the course shell.  I have a poem that needs to be to an editor by July 1--it's almost done, but I need to make sure I can't improve it further.  Vacation Bible School starts Monday evening--I have the supplies bought, but I need to remember to get them to the car on Monday.  I have rough drafts from my Composition students to read; I think that comments and suggestions are much more crucial for the rough draft than the finished draft.

This morning, instead of doing any of the above, I wrote a new poem.  Well, I'm still wrestling with it.  And yet, I don't regret that use of time.  I'm always amazed at what bubbles up and what my subconscious brain pulls together.

Soon I will go to spin class and then it's off to have lunch with friends from a variety of schools.  It's the kind of networking that works better for me--but of course, it's not really networking, is it?  It's keeping my connections nourished.

Nourishment--I should focus on what connections and events bring me nourishment and which ones don't.  I can't ditch all the ones that don't, of course.  But I can cultivate more opportunities for nourishment.