Merton and the power of writing

Evidently being busy is not an excuse for not writing. It is hard to pinpoint exactly what keeps me from writing, but my guess is that it simply has not been worked into my daily life. And, when things get "so hectic", taking time to write does not seem valuable--until you realize that you don't have time to capture your thoughts. And, what I have found is that these thoughts will then dissapear somewhere into the extents of the neural cortex, and then slips completely outside of my mind.

At some point I must satisfy myself with the fact that I will always be looking for new opportunities. The transcriber of Merton's journals describe the experience that both he and a 4th century monk went through where he describes the horror of the situation he is in, then becomes disgusted with his current surroundings, complains that no progress is being made, and then looks outward to other places that appear better. How long until I cycle through that natural human tendency?

Not yet. Currently, I do know that I will be working another year at Sunnyside High School. I enjoy working there. I do not enjoy some of the responses of the students, but I have come to realize that my ability to manage and control the students do represent 50% of the equation (the other half belongs to the students). This does though constitute 100% of my responsiblity for how I do my job. Although I do see that institutionalized education has some drawbacks, I am beginning to see that with an attitude-adjustment, I can better see the benefits of what I do. Teaching is enjoyable, beneficial to others, and can be a meaningful vehicle for my ministry to others.

So, I hope to continue writing. Let me see how long this will last.

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