this is not a plea for mercy or pity. i do this to myself.

Date February 2, 2009

Hello.  My name is Emily and I’m an over committer.

The sad proof:

Monday-Friday 7:30-3:30 Fifth grade hormone management, crowd control, and teacher clothes

Monday 3:30-7:30

  • Musical practice (with equally hormonal high school children who are less afraid of me)

Tuesday

  • 3:30-4:30 staff meeting
  • 4:30-6:00 tutor Spanish speaking sophomore on the beauty of the Southern drawl in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbing Bird

Wednesday

  • 3:30-4:30 Destination Imagination (creative kid think tank where creative kids breed chaos)
  • 4:30-6:00 English class for two adults
  • 6:00-until Dinner with a friend

Thursday

  • 3:30-4:30 tutor aforementioned sophmore on why it is helpful to do your homework and why it isn’t helpful to say, “But, Miss, the English teacher is boring and estupido.”
  • 6:00-8:00 teach English to 15 members of the PTA (give away stickers and dodge questions like “Is ‘sh** happens’ an idiom?)

Friday

  • 3:30-4:30 English class to three colleagues for less money than it takes for me to catch a cab
  • 4:30-until Pick up basketball with staff (Spanish speaking staff who think I actually understand the instructions that they’re yelling at me)
  • Until-until even later Pizza y Pasta with the same crowd, if I’m lucky

Saturday:

  • early morning:  Promise myself that one day I’ll be able to shamelessly utter the word “no”.

5 Responses to “this is not a plea for mercy or pity. i do this to myself.”

  1. Stephen said:

    We played at a church in Alabama for a weekend last year, and we ate at one of those typical Southern catfish places. As we were enjoying our lunch, this really old lady walks in. The local guy sitting next me says, “Hey, you know that book “To Kill a Mockingbird?” “Sure,” says I. “That’s Harper Lee’s sister that just walked in. She’s in her nineties and still practices law.” Yes, you can touch me. I sat in the same room as Harper Lee’s sister. Sorry that that really long comment was only vaguely related to the above blog post. Yes, you should say “no” more. And I’m pretty sure “sh** happens” is an idiom.

  2. Summer said:

    Yep. I have the disease too. But I admit that all I was thinking about as I was reading your busy schedule was: “I hope she’s carrying some snacks with her.” At least for me, being overcommitted, tired AND hungry is a lethal combination.

  3. Lou said:

    Just say NO! I have done it in the passed and it really works. I do it now but I have not always been as good at it. A child can force you to say it because they get it all.

  4. Lindsay Nash said:

    Too funny, Em.
    I’m a big say-no-er. My free time is worth more than gold. But if it helps, I do think you’re a better person for being such a “Yes Man”. Have you seen that movie? It’s great. OK, I’m ending this random post now.

  5. Robin said:

    A week in March: Aforementioned *plus* a grateful visitor who promises to require little commitment!

    And who is working on her espanol!

    Estoy trabajando en ella espanol!