Time off

My college classes begin next week. I feel as if I haven't had any time off, and it's only when a person doesn't have a vacation that he or she realizes how important that is.

I remember writing a piece about taking Emily on her first trip - it was to Sea World - and how excited I was because I was fulfilling a childhood dream of going on a vacation. My family never went on vacation. We couldn't afford it. I watched "Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color" hungrily each Sunday night, hoping to one day sit in the twirling cups, but my first trip to Disneyland didn't come until I was almost 30. I loved it then, but wonder what it would have been like to be a child and step foot into what felt like magic.

My schedule doesn't allow for much time off. I am in church at the piano and organ bench every Sunday, teaching Tuesdays and Thursdays, and on a different bench on Wednesdays. Even when school is not in session, I am still spoken for on Wednesdays and Sundays. That divides the week either nicely or perversely, depending on how you look at it: enough time to take a short trip to Arkansas or Kansas City, but not enough time to sit back and relax and wipe the drudgery of everyday life off my mind for a few days.

When I read the word "drudgery," I am somewhat ashamed. I really enjoy the things I do. I love to make music, I love to connect with students, and I love trying to bring justice to those who are looking for it. Occasionally, I would just like some time off.