Here I sit in my morning chair, cup of coffee on the table, chihuahua cuddled up next to me.  I love my life so much.  I love watching the bird in the tree.  I love my fake Christmas tree with its pretty lights.  I love the luxury of a weekend before a week off.  A 2nd week off.  Plans for the day.  Meet with friends.  Enjoy a massage.  Grade a set of math tests.  Heaven.  

I have been waiting for my word of the year to come to me.  In the past, I have forced it, and then not been able to remember it throughout the year.  That’s okay.  But this year, I wanted a memorable one that fits me and grows with me where I’m headed.  It was given to me yesterday.  What a surprise!  A word that is used against me as a professional in the area of public school teaching.  Mastery.  

My word of the year is definitely Mastery, but I am not yet sure why. When I looked it up there were some other words that I considered, namely mastermind, mind, and simply master.  But since I was given “mastery”, I’m sticking with it.  I like that it comes for the same root as “maestra”, or teacher.

I have long thought of myself as “jack of all trades, master of none”.  Not, of course, in the handyman trades, but in a more academic, physical, spiritual, creative sense.  I am a dabbler.  I have come to terms with that in my fifties and seen its value. Now that I am quickly approaching a new decade of life, it seems that mastery is drawing me.  I seek to master life.  

I’m not done teaching, but I will be moving on in 5 years. I want to be a philosopher.   Or a poet.  A new breed of philosopher.  A new breed of poet.  I simply want to be a new breed.     After I’m done working with youth in a public school setting, what will I do next?  Share myself in a new way.  A way I make up all by myself.  I think I can amuse, enlighten, entertain, inspire with my thoughts.  Does anyone read anymore?  Will I have to do a podcast?  Make videos?  We shall see.

December 29, 2018