Hello - Is This On?

"One weekend, after being on the road for many months, Jim got a chance to come home to relax with his family. We settled in to enjoy our time alone together. Though Jim was expecting company the next day, avoiding confrontation he never told me that we were to be joined by an entire film crew! The next morning, 15 people from Acorn Productions descended upon our house to record a promotional film of Jim Croce at Home on the Farm.

"I prepared breakfast, lunch and dinner for the whole film crew and after the group left, I questioned Jim about our finances. After a year and a half of his working so very hard on the road, we were barely making ends meet, but Jim wouldn't talk about it. He hated questions as much as he hated confrontation, especially about money. He stormed out of our bedroom and went down to the kitchen table to brood. The next morning he woke me gently by singing his new song. 'Every time I tried to tell you the words just came out wrong. So I'll have to say "I love you" in a song.'" - Ingrid Croce

Connection is what I want, and while it's best to speak just for myself - I think it's what we all want.

Do we all want a connection to G-d? To each other? To ourselves? Do we all thrive on positive feelings from others? If someone says they don't care if other people give them positive feedback or not are they in some way off?

Yesterday on the bus home from the doctor I bumped into a recent graduate of my school. We chatted. What a mature mentsch! She asked if I was looking forward to school starting. I said the truth, "Yes." I don't know if other teachers will all approve of my admittance and yet it's the fact.

I am happy to be entering my 16th year of teaching at The Frisch School. I am particularly pleased to be starting my fourth year as Director of Torah Guidance, to be once again listening to and counseling kids and helping others do the same. I am also pleased to once again be teaching 12 periods a week of Chumash, 8 of Gemorah, 3 of Public Speaking, as well as running the Improv and Poetry clubs. For the second year of its existence I will be integrally involved in the Va'ad program, being the go to person for a group of freshmen and meeting with them for a discussion every other week. I'll also, please G-d, be honored and privileged to once again be part of many school programs including chaperoning Model U.N., presenting at Freshman and Junior trips and more.

I'm awaiting a call back from a physical therapy place, what seems to be the only place in the city that might take my insurance. It's been quite a journey. Since I fell and fractured parts of my ankle a month ago I've come to appreciate what it means to be able to walk. There is so much to say and to think and feel...

I often wonder why I write here. At this second I am considering ending or seriously tapering off from the blog. For the most part I don't know where these words are going, what they're doing.