The Good Life

I’ve been feeling a little burned out this week, charred to a crisp. Yesterday I told DH that I felt like my brain was smoking. The new semester begins Monday, and I have eight (yes eight) classes to teach this semester. Two are for another community/technical college, and four of the total are online courses, but STILL. It’s a lot of work, and the preplanning and preparation are time consuming. While technology adds many dimensions and possibilities to the learning process, it can also get a little overwhelming. Back in the day, we’d show up on the first day of class, give out the course syllabus, go through a programmed spiel, and call it a day. Now we have resource pages available to the students 24/7 that contain discussion boards, unit tests, power point presentations, links to supplemental sources, and so forth.

Although I’m feeling a bit stressed and haggard tonight, I feel upbeat too. Why? Because I love what I do and the people I get to do it with. I work with some of the best people on the planet, and it blows my mind (yes, I know that’s probably an archaic expression to some of the younger set) to think that I didn’t know even one of them six years ago when I moved from the coast to the midlands of SC. There’s Martha and her outrageous sense of humor, Carol and her bossy mother-hen qualities, and Nancy with her perfect manners and sense of style While all of these gals happen to be around my age, I’ve also become chums with many young women…men too. There’s just not time to write about all of them tonight. Besides, my brain is still smoking from earlier efforts.

I’ve met dozens and dozens of people outside of work too, primarily at church. Then there are my blog friends who are magically in my computer every time I log on. At odd times, I find myself thinking of them and wondering what they’re up to. Sometimes when I’m out shopping, I’ll look at the other folks and wonder if they too have iFriends or perhaps what Hayden refers to as an iFamily.

So what’s the major theme of this post? Hmmm. Not sure. It could be simply that despite stress and a killer of work week, life is good…very good. Having friends adds the icing on the cake. I’m also thinking that perhaps all of us need to think of all those strangers out there as potential friends, especially when you consider the richness that even one good one brings into your life.

Speaking of the richness of relationships, my former mother-in-law and I are traveling to Atlanta to spend the rest of the weekend with Paul and Amanda. At one time I never imagined such a trip would be possible, but it seems that she and I have found harmony again, and I’ll be picking her up at 8:00 in my spiffy red Highlander. I’m looking forward to taking her to see one of her grandsons and his bride.

Ah, I know the theme of this post now: love and work. Supposedly someone once asked Sigmund Freud the cornerstones of a happy life, and that was his response. Love and work–people to love and care about (and vice versa) and something productive to

Author: jayne bowers

*married with children, stepchildren, grandchildren, in-laws, ex-laws, and a host of other family members and fabulous friends *semi-retired psychology instructor at two community colleges *writer View all posts by jayne bowers