Those of you who know me know I'm a teacher. This is just a statement of facts. My work begins in August and tends to end around June. And then it is summer. And as a teacher, we define summer a little differently than our non-teacher friends.
Summer is not just a season - it's a state of mind. The students are gone, along with the responsibilities, the early mornings and the free access to coffee. At least for a couple months. But summer, for me, has always been that time I reserve to "finally get shit done". Every summer, I have goals. Write more. Draw more. Lose some of that weight already. And every Fall, that list remains the same. Summer is an incredible thesis for the study of "Why Human Beings Need Structure". Summer teases me into progress and then leaves me on a welcome mat with a locked door.
A few weeks ago, while reading Dan John's "Never Let Go", I fell into a quote. There is no way to just read it. You fall into it like a trap you can't escape:
"You can make excuses or you can have what you want - not both".
I always wanted to start a blog to force myself to write more. And yet I always found excuses. Not enough time! The Texas heat is so motivation-sapping! The keys on my keyboard just feel weird and sticky!
But not this summer. This summer, I am turning in my excuses and opening the Gumball Factory. Here, you will find pieces of writing that will hopefully give you something to think about. Something to chew on.
It's a silly, colorful name. But that's how our attention is earned in the first place. We want that shiny, colorful gumball. And then we chew on it. For hours, if we want. For days, if we've got issues. The flavor eventually fades, but the core of it - the gum itself - is still there, being chewed on over and over as if we're going to find some new way to taste it.
Feel free to drop by the Gumball Factory whenever you want. We will be open for a while.
Summer is not just a season - it's a state of mind. The students are gone, along with the responsibilities, the early mornings and the free access to coffee. At least for a couple months. But summer, for me, has always been that time I reserve to "finally get shit done". Every summer, I have goals. Write more. Draw more. Lose some of that weight already. And every Fall, that list remains the same. Summer is an incredible thesis for the study of "Why Human Beings Need Structure". Summer teases me into progress and then leaves me on a welcome mat with a locked door.
A few weeks ago, while reading Dan John's "Never Let Go", I fell into a quote. There is no way to just read it. You fall into it like a trap you can't escape:
"You can make excuses or you can have what you want - not both".
I always wanted to start a blog to force myself to write more. And yet I always found excuses. Not enough time! The Texas heat is so motivation-sapping! The keys on my keyboard just feel weird and sticky!
But not this summer. This summer, I am turning in my excuses and opening the Gumball Factory. Here, you will find pieces of writing that will hopefully give you something to think about. Something to chew on.
It's a silly, colorful name. But that's how our attention is earned in the first place. We want that shiny, colorful gumball. And then we chew on it. For hours, if we want. For days, if we've got issues. The flavor eventually fades, but the core of it - the gum itself - is still there, being chewed on over and over as if we're going to find some new way to taste it.
Feel free to drop by the Gumball Factory whenever you want. We will be open for a while.