Saturday, March 6, 2010

Catching Up

Ah, so this MFA thing.

Every day, it's catch up. I finish grading one batch of papers and then receive another. I come up with an awesome idea for a class activity, only to find myself working at the library, unable to find time to write the necessary plans. I make time for friends and realize I've neglected family, or vice versa. I catch up, but I don't get ahead.

Granted, I'm easily impressed. But I'm in awe of people who manage to keep their apartment and car clean, their papers organized, and their lives in some semblance of order. While a part of me wonders where they find the time, the other part of me realizes that this order is a result of choices: to hang up a coat when returning to the apartment; to wash the dishes as soon as they're used; to prioritize.

There are some things I've figured out. These things mostly pertain to basic human interactions, choosing kindness and optimism over all else. But the rest? Eek! I keep drawing the same conclusions again and again but never make the necessary hard choices. Thus I am constantly catching up, catching up, catching up.

So while I'd love to think about the MFA, draft an admissions essay, gather samples, I don't have the time and space for it.

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