Crumpled schedules...

21 June 2021: I am very much feeling the "so much to do" stress this week. Today, I had no appointments scheduled and planned a full day on campus, getting work done on three fronts: grading, the book proposal, and prepping for a conference presentation tomorrow. I got there before 8:00 and was cooking through a schedule I had made for myself when a colleague in another department sent an email asking if we could talk. I thought about saying "no," but felt the tug of my responsibility as Faculty Senate President, so I said yes and he came by.

Cut to 90 minutes later, when he left and I crumpled up my schedule, now completely useless, sighed a bit, and traced out a new one. 

The thing is, this isn't a complaint post (not really). I am glad I could talk to him and hear what he had to say. I am glad I could help address some of his concerns and reassure him that I shared some of them. But really, I am glad for any chance to have a good conversation with someone from a very different discipline--especially someone I don't know very well--and be reminded once again how dedicated most faculty are to the work we do and to our students. That sounds like bull, I know, or trite nonsense, but it really is true.