The Storm – 5th March 2024

Along the road, we met, orphans of the storm
Cursing the life to which we were born
Sitting on these steps, desperate and forlorn
Soon alone again, an orphan of the storm

Submitted to No Theme Thursday picture prompt

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Today I’m feeling:

Tired but positive.  

Cap woke me up three times during the night, to let him in and out of the bedroom.  Another time I needed to pee and then the birds started singing and my alarm zapped me up.  

I contemplated snoozing but pushed through and struggled on with my intermediate abs exercises.  I felt good about that and the cold shower but then as I was listening to my students doing pairs reading I found myself tired.  

Fortunately, they were all called off for the second period to practice for the ceremony on Thursday to wish farewell to the grade 9 and grade 12 kids, giving me an extra hour free today!

Today I’m grateful for:

Max from Ad Interim contacting me again to see if I would like to help with their second album.  

I’ll give it a listen first but have no issues working with them again as they paid back their first album loan within six months of receiving their records.  

I’m extremely grateful to be asked to help them again.

The best thing about today was:

Nong Freya being the only student who came to my class today and still wanting to be taught.

I guessed that the class were practicing for the ceremony on Thursday and as she is somewhat excluded socially in her class I’m guessing either no one told her to be doing that or that she chose to come to class instead.  Either way, if she wants to study then I will teach!

Being just one-on-one makes for a lot of clarity and ideas to be shared.  I was able to see how she worked and thought about things (we were just doing a simple gap-fill exercise) and I also got to hear how well she can read, something which I don’t often get a chance to do in normal class time.

What was out of your control today and how did you handle it?

As described here, there were a few surprises thrown at me today and I handled them pretty well.

Something I learned today?

You can hear a blue whale’s heartbeat from over 2 miles away. Their hearts weigh roughly 180kg.

Review your acts, and then for vile deeds chide yourself, for good be glad. — Discourses 3.10

I replaced the light bulbs in the garage and at the front of the house today.

I helped Amy by carrying some ceramic pots to where she wanted them in the garden.

I got pens for two of my forgetful students this afternoon, whereas normally I would deduct points from them.

25 THINGS ABOUT LIFE I WISH I HAD KNOWN 10 YEARS AGO –  25. Take Action. Don’t just sit there, do something. Without action, there is no outcome.

I have followed this mostly, sometimes out of spite or contrariness, proving that I can do something, either to myself or to others and other times out of a desire to inspire; if I can do it then anyone can.  

All the action has amounted to me being here, where I am in the world.  Generally happy and satisfied.