December 14

December 14 is my official last day of the semester. That's only 17 days away. Of course, after that I still have to grade all my final ENGL101 portfolios, read ahead for next semester, work full-time at the shelter, have two good and huge holidays, travel twice, plan my ENGL101 classes for next semester and be a normal, stress-free human being, but at least this semester will be over. That means only three semesters left. So for the next 17 days I will be doing nothing fun. I will say no to all opportunities to leave the house in an act of socialization with friends. I will turn down acts of gaiety and frivolity. I will instead steep myself in books, papers and laptop screens. For 17 days I will not feel the freedom of pleasurable afternoons or lazy mornings. No; I will instead feel the burden of stress upon my body, soul and mind. I will liken myself to other, past tortured souls...concentration camp victims, witches put on trial in Salem, dysentery-ridden children starving on the African plains, and those cute, little cartoon mice who huddle behind the poor man's wall in the dead of winter and fight each other for one lonely bread crumb.