Letter to my friend

Morning, Jackie,

I'm a little stir crazy not having anything to do. Oh, I have plenty of places to go - and "stuff" to take care of - but, well, maybe you know what I mean. The classes are all finished, the papers turned in, the grades have been recorded. I even have my speech written for Saturday. I hope you're not too disappointed. I used a Thoreau quote. I considered writing a feminist manifesto, but I found it difficult to draw together 80 other people in 3-5 minutes.

As soon as my last bio of aging assignment was finished Friday afternoon, I started digging around the Pitt site and found the library. They have a lot of the same database accesses that we do, and I downloaded and printed 3 articles on pedagogy. I'm mid-way through the second, and the third (saving the best for last), "'Feminist' Teaching/Teaching "Feminism"', is one you might like. I found it through Project Muse, but I can go back & save a PDF copy & e-mail it to you if you like.

I checked my degree audit, and my minor hasn't yet shown up on it. You told me that it would, so I'm not worried about it - just an F.Y.I.

I've only cried a few times, and I have managed not to sink into a deep depression. I know all sorts of good things are ahead, but - maybe you've felt this - it all went so fast, I feel like I didn't have an opportunity to savor any of it. I'd just like it to slow down a little.

My baby boy is 18 and is off visiting friends on his own in the evenings, playing music and doing car repairs. My baby girl is asking questions about politics and religion and trying to make up her mind in regards to what she believes, not adopting what we believe as the whole truth and nothing but the truth. I'm watching my oldest re-join the family, camping out in the t.v. room doing math and contemplating his future, comparing it to his peers and struggling to figure out where he belongs in the world. The next one in line - the roller coaster kid - he's psyched that he's got an honor cord, even though he's been kicked out of the National Honors Society (did I tell you about that? over a bottle of Sprite?), and he's weighing the short-term worth of traveling as a starving musician against the long-term worth of a college education. My husband sits back, watches it all and smiles.

I don't know that I'm ready to be where I am, Jackie, but ready or not, here I come. Thanks for listening this morning. May the clouds part and the sun shine on you today.

Peace & Love,
Jody

“I am writing in the garden. To write as one should of a garden one must write not outside it or merely somewhere near it, but in the garden.”
~Frances Hodgson Burnett