Driving 700 Miles
Last week I drove 700 miles across the beautiful state of Minnesota during peak harvest time. I attended three venues in three days with three entirely different topics. By Sunday, I needed a break! My bum was begging to please move—no more sitting. My auditory and visual systems were ready to relax—no more scanning for critters on the roadside or tracking the audio book. My social-emotional system wanted to commune with nature—no more human interaction. As I listened to my body, what was the solution? Screen Free Sunday.
While driving, my eyes thought they were seeing a glimpse of heaven. There is NOTHING like a drive through the valleys of western Minnesota at sunrise and sunset in October. The fields connect to the sky. The colors are magnificent. Seeing the combines eat up the corn/beans and watching the big trucks transport the goods is truly amazing. I drove from Alexandria to Fargo as the sun peeked over my shoulders and lifted the fog from the lowlands. I returned to Alexandria as the sun set, again in my rearview mirror. In between the drives I shared with Catholic educators from North Dakota how wonderfully we are made in the image and likeness of our Creator. I offered simple micro-interventions to support building the physical skills of learning. The keynote was dynamic and the conference schedule was fast-paced. Feedback was fantastic!
Harvesting
I spent the two nights before and after the conference nestled on my parent’s farm. Nothing quite beats mom’s home cooking. Toffee bars—my favorite. Roast beef dinner with homegrown cooked carrots. Yummo! “Going away hotdish” also known as goulash soothes the body and soul. Watching my nephew play football brought back
memories of high school and pep band! Sitting around the table celebrating the semis of corn harvested nurtured my spirit.
Nights are short and days are long during the harvest. Conference season is similar. While traveling eastward into the sun to attend a Professional Development Day at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, I contemplated, “Was attendance a want or a need?” Boys Will Be Boys is a relevant topic; I have two of them myself. What are the latest strategies? Where’s the research? How would Montessori have met boys’ needs in 2016? By the end of the day, my brain was buzzing on its way back across the border to sleep in my own bed in Minnesota.
Teaching
Not done yet…Day 3! Group: graduate students in the Montessori Training Program at UWRF. Topic: Literacy Foundations for the 3-6 year olds. I arrived early only to find the hallway and classroom doors locked. Then, the assignment that seemed so logical on paper didn’t gel with our mixed up morning. The day continued in this fashion with Braxton Hicks contractions from one pregnant student, snoozing in class from another, struggling to align the course content for the teacher of deaf children, and more. By Saturday night, I was systemically wiped out! Screen Free Sunday was on the horizon!
Screen Free Sunday
Hence, Screen-Free Sunday. (Well, if I was honest, it was Limited-Screen Sunday.) After church, I joined my husband “out back” to work on the pasture and shelter for the horses. The wind was brisk. My muscles were stretched and taxed as he invited me to hold 2×4’s over my head. By the end of the day, it wasn’t just my bum that was tired. After collecting kids from their social outings on a long MEA weekend , it was time to rest everything—mind, body, and spirit.
I do my best to practice what I preach. Hence, this post.
Take time to notice and reflect on your systems. What needs a break? Is there an overloaded physical, emotional, social or intellectual circuit? What would best support re-establishing the connection? Is a limited-screen event in your future?
Comments are welcome…I love to hear others’ experiences.
