To Be A Writer Or Not To Be A Writer That Is The Question

I have had to take a month off from writing because of teaching related challenges which included three state wide assessment and being part of over forty special education parent meetings . It did not include more than 4 hours of sleep per night, lunches or breakfasts. As soon as most of those activities came to a conclusion, I had time to sit back and reflect on me as a writer. "To be a writer or not to be a writer that was the question. OK I borrowed a bit from Will Shakespeare but he's not around to groan very much.

All four weeks though I missed writing, I had nothing to write about. My focus was on creating more than a few portfolios for children that No Child Will Be Left Behind and the Great State Of Georgia made part of my job description as a special educator. On Friday I was worried that I had run out of anything to write. On Saturday and Sunday I was sick. Today I have several articles to write. I wondered if all writers have times when they have to focus their creativity and energy in other areas.

Two years ago I was told that if you were a real writer you had to write as much as you had to breathe in and out, that you would rather write than eat, drink or sleep. I have to confess that by this definition I am not a writer.

I very much believe that breathing is more or less mandatory for me to do every moment of my life. As anyone can tell by my photos I am quite good at eating and drinking though I am somewhat better at eating than drinking. Those that know me can ascertain to the fact that there have been more than just few full bottles of wine that somehow have become empty at my home.  I do try to assure everyone that the ghosts who reside in my home could very well pour spirits in to the spirits themselves but where is the proof? OK ninety proof is not the kind of proof the skeptics look for.

I would however rather write than sleep but when I am ready to sleep after my writing, my principal denies me of that basic human right. I must confess that when I am ready to sleep it is at about 10:00 A.M, a time when my students are suppose to be learning something. My principal never seems to believe me when I tell him I am not sleeping but I am really demonstrating deep relaxation techniques to my students.

It is always a little challenging to convince him that my snores are really a dialect from Borneo that I am trying to teach. His eyes seem to roll when I tell him that those who can speak this dialect actually live longer or seem to live longer. I also tell him that those who roll their eyes that way have a shorter than average life span.He says something about my teaching span being shorter if I don't get back to teaching ASAP whatever an ASAP is. He has become so picky these days. I don't think he gets enough sleep.

He will tell you and I agree, that I am most probably not a writer but I am a story teller. He has never been able to find proof, but he is convinced that I have told him some real stories in my time working for him. My response is always "I am shocked! If I have told you stories how come I have never been paid for them?" He somehow thinks that they pay me too much as it is for teaching.I find his attitude shocking just shocking.

Someday I would like to be a writer but I may never be. I like telling stories and I am pretty good at that. When someday someone calls me a writer instead of Mr Urine, (Our school secretary has a hard time with my name),Mr. Ee Wing, Teach,Maestro, Mister, I have even been called Ma'am even though I have told my principal that isn't funny, ticket man (I sell tickets at school events) or even Connor's Father then I will have arrived! If that never happens I am OK with it, but if instead someone says hey you're that story teller aren't you?  I will feel fine just fine.