Saying No, Letting Go

This week at the college has been an unusually crowded one. I have barely been able to keep up with my classes--though the new glasses will surely help. One special event after another is taking place on campus. Dolores Huerta on Monday. Ruby Sales Wednesday through Friday. Art critic Carol Becker on Thursday. The Ambassador to Mexico next Tuesday. And three candidates for the Director of the Center for Intercultural Teaching and Learning all presenting to the faculty this week. And Julia's musical, The Secret Garden, opened last night. Besides the musical, I haven't gone to any of these events. This is much to my chagrin, as they are all things I would have liked to attend. But saying no wasn't just a choice, it was an imperative. Between being the head of the department and having to finalize course schedules, start a job search, and teach my classes, then come home as the single parent, there just hasn't been time. I haven't been doing take-out coffee, but more than once this week I've had to resort to plastic-container-ed food at the snack bar just to keep pace. So I've had to let go of purity, but also to forgive myself for saying "no." But the world didn't end. In fact, it kept on going, and I kept pace with the most important obligations--family, kids. Not much time for writing, though.