On Being Too Busy

In a recent text message exchange between My Wife and a young woman who was taking care of our dog while we were out of town, instead of writing a response, I "liked" one of the messages in the chain. See below:

I've tried to recreate that moment in my mind when that text chain was happening. What was going on that made me feel like I couldn't take a couple of seconds to write "thank you" as well? For the life of me I can't remember it.

That moment also made me think of the week before the Winter Holiday Break, when I was running around trying to get several different errands done. I wanted to grab a cup of coffee from our local Starbucks to have with me while I was out. I pre-ordered it using the app, and it was ready and waiting for me when I walked in. I added my usual cream and two Splenda and I was out of there in less than thirty seconds.

Finally, all of this reminded me of a time when My Wife was teaching first grade in Chicago. She got a phone call from a parent, who needed to relay a message to her child. The message was the regular after school plans were cancelled, so the child should go home on the bus. When My Wife relayed the message, the child exclaimed, "YES! A free day!"

Is it possible that we are too busy? Is it possible that we are trying to cram too much into our days? Is it possible that we have too much going on and that we might miss some of the small things along the way? I think it's more than possible - I have just shared two examples from my own life in which I was too busy to type and another when too busy to stand in line...

I have no doubt that one of our most precious gifts is time, and that what we do with this very limited resource makes a substantial difference in how we choose to live our lives, and how we impact the lives of others. As educators, we have a responsibility to be both thoughtful and judicious about our use of time with our students. On the one hand it must be full of learning opportunities and room for growth, while on the other hand, we must allow for play and give time for moments of reflection.

I don't make resolutions for a new calendar year. I set a goal for myself. My goal this year is to listen more, and to talk less. I hope those of you that read this blog will help keep me honest about my goal. I hope that if I am able to slow down more and stand in line from time to time, and listen, I will grow new relationships and enhance the ones I already have. Even if it means typing a little more.

Image courtesy of Pintrest