America the Beautiful

This song always chokes me up. My favorite verse is not often sung, but it's included in this video. It seems particularly appropriate today.

O beautiful for patriot dream
That sees beyond the years
Thine alabaster cities gleam
Undimmed by human tears!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!

I also like the positive attitude of this video - of looking forward to what we can do to make America a better home for us all. Everyone might not agree with every suggestion, but there is at least something for everyone.

Happy 4th of July

Summer Vacation

I always feel like there should be some sort of flashing neon sign that signals the end of the school year and the beginning of summer vacation, but this year it's been more like a gentle YIELD.

I've been thinking about that a lot lately. Why? Why does this year's summer vacation not seem like all that big a deal?

The obvious reason is sort of a bittersweet sense of school ending. I really enjoyed the class I had this year. Everyone said this was the class that caused nervous breakdowns, but that wasn't my experience. I will truly miss seeing them each day.

Still, the year was tiring and I'm glad for the time to rest and recoup.

I'm also excited for the chance to devote more time to my writing. Although I hold myself to my vow to write at least something everyday, during the school year that something often feels disconnected and aimless. Now I have whole stretches of time to revel in the writing process. And I won't have to feel guilty for taking time away from schoolwork.

So why no flashing neon sign? No fireworks?

I guess I'm more a believer in rituals than I ever realized. I always think of the last day of school as the day to say goodbye, pack up the classroom, come home and open a beer or a bottle of wine and salute the coming summer. Instead, when school ended last Thursday, we immediately hit the road for an overnight trip to Boston for a family reunion. That was fun but it interfered with my end-of-the-year ritual. Instead of diving right into the writing, I cleaned the house (which really needed it), caught up on laundry, and dove into a really long book (Nelson DeMille's Word of Honor).

So today's my real first day of summer vacation. I got up early, walked the dog, and settled in with my coffee at the computer.

And you know what? I'm excited. REALLY excited to get to work on the book.

So what about you? Does anyone else have rituals that you stick to religiously? And what happens when something interferes?