Priorities

I have a post started about Christmas Eve. I could easily write 7 posts about Christmas break, but later I will write one to sum it up because I don't have time to write 7 posts.

That is the subject of this post. "I don't have time." Seriously, I want to write. I want to be a writer, but I don't have time. I know that sounds like a crock. We all have the same 24 hours in a day. I know it's a matter of priorities, but what exactly do I knock off my priority list to add regular writing? The kids? My students/my job? Dishes, laundry? Grading? My husband?

I don't exercise. When I met with my doctor about taking an antidepressant (i.e. my crazy pill) and then with my minister about everything going on, they both suggested I see a counselor. I agree, anyone who has had the last year I have could benefit from counseling, but when?

When I talked to my minister I was also telling him I needed to step down from my volunteering with the youth group. I loved it, but something had to give. I used to attend an adult faith discussion once a week, loved it. Haven't been since the October before last. I do go to church almost every Sunday and go to book club once a month. It needs to be pretty serious to keep me from book club. I also "chit chat" at school sometimes when I should be grading and I spend a significant amount of time on the phone with a sister or other. But I process things by talking and I've had a few things to process lately. If I shared all I need to get out with my OM (Old Man) his head would blow up. Besides I'm rarely just talking on the phone, I'm usually breast feeding or pumping, doing the dishes or folding laundry while I'm talking.

You'll notice I didn't put sleep on my list to give up. That is not an option. Me getting any less sleep than I currently have been is very counter productive to my home life and my work. I've tried it. And I do read everyday. That's not going anywhere. I read every night before going to sleep and spare moments through out the day, while eating breakfast, breast feeding, on the toilet, doctor offices, during silent reading at school among other times and places. I even used to read at stop lights. A fender bender 12 years ago stopped that! Giving reading up is also counter productive. Some of my reading is for school and it builds my writing, I'm sure. But most of all, I am a bitch if I don't have a novel or memoir going.

I sat down to write this post a couple hours ago. OM had taken the guys over to his mom's empty house to watch the Oregon Ducks on her cable. It was just Hope and me home. I decided to ignore the dirty dishes in the sink as well as the clean laundry all over the floor. I wasn't going to sort through the bills or finish addressing the Christmas Cards (yes, I know it's January 10th, I'm still going to send them out! I spent the money on the damn things). I wasn't going finish grading the quiz my students' took of Friday. No, I was going to write this post come heck or high water... or poop. I had written less then a paragraph when I realized Hope was poopy. sigh. I changed her and went back to write two more paragraphs when OM and the guys came home. They couldn't get MIL's tv to work.

So here it is, 11:03 and I am finally finishing this post. It may not be my greatest writing, but it's about to be published. Because I've got to go brush my teeth, take my crazy pill, read a little and go to sleep. Tomorrow's another busy, busy day.