Back-to-school Jitters

Tomorrow is the first day of school. But not for the kids. For me.
The university's fall semester starts tomorrow, and come 8 a.m. I'll have a roomful of students waiting for me. And then another.

I've dusted off the old syllabus, tweaked it, updated it. Honed the materials list down to minimalist perfection (read: sensitive to a college student's budget). And now all I have to do is show up. And somehow wow them into sticking it out for a semester. With me.

I love the fall energy, the newness, the pregnant anticipation of learning and growth and creativity. I love working with a diverse group of students who share one thing in common: An eagerness to learn. I love seeing the light come on and the amazing art they create once it does.

So why exactly do I feel the back-to-school jitters? I think it must be hard-wired into my system, part of the DNA. My dad (who was a beloved professor for over 30 years) confessed that he still sometimes has nightmares about waking up late and missing a final. (That is some serious stress.) My recurring school nightmares are usually about finding out at the end of the semester that I was registered for some random class I never attended. Funny that that stuff remains in our sub-conscious after all these years.

There's something else making me feel a little jitterish about going back to school. Blogging. I started this blog on a whim a few months ago, at the end of Spring Semester. And I've been blogging away all summer long to my heart's content. Loving it far more than I thought I would. Meeting people I never imagined, forming friendships that run pretty deep for being so short-lived. So now what?

I'm not sure how much time for this my school schedule will allow. I might have to post less frequently. I might even disappear for awhile. But not entirely. I'm too attached to you now.

Speaking of becoming attached, my friend Heather of the EO (see? I think of you as my friend, and we've never even met and probably never will) handed me a little award yesterday. Heather is a great writer and an even better thinker, and her blog is one of my favorites. So that's an honor coming from her. (Thank you, Heather!) I think the rule is you're supposed to pass it on to seven others. But here's the deal: I only read about seven blogs. :) So if you're one of the lucky few I read and comment on, consider yourself awarded. Really. You can even put up the little button if it makes you happy. :)



And then there's the Blogger's Annex, where they're putting up one of my recent posts...another honor. The Annex has become another daily addiction, perusing the best of bloglandia. I even love the people who comment there!

So I'm not saying goodbye. Not at all. Just maybe slowing down for awhile.
--Or maybe I won't be able to stand it and I'll be back here tomorrow. Who knows?