Take a Break!
Originally, I planned for my weekly Monday Musing to be about three of my favorite books that I’ve read so far, but since I am taking a break from working on my book, I figured that this post should focus on that instead. Today is Friday, August 13th and as I write this post, I am sitting on the train headed to Baltimore, Maryland to take what will be the first real break I’ve had since around December of last year, which seems weird to write knowing how close we are to December of this year. Nevertheless, while I watch the countryside roll by, I may as well take this opportunity to do a bit of writing before I unplug completely! I’ve never been great about taking a break from things—research, writing, or teaching. However, as I find myself becoming consumed with the task of working on my first book project with the start of a new semester looming before me, I know that if I don’t take this opportunity now I may not have the chance to do so again—or at least not until we get that week off for Thanksgiving come November by which time I’m sure I’ll have plenty to catch up on at any rate.
So, what does it mean to take a break? To step away from my writing, from research and from teaching? I’m sure that taking a break means different thing to everyone, but for me, for the next seven days I am committed to 1) not writing daily, 2) not accepting meetings (with the exception of the two meetings I set before I planned this trip), 3) not responding to emails as soon as they hot my inbox unless absolutely necessary (my vacation message is up, up and away at this point!) and 4) really, just making it up as I go! I am not going to be rigid with myself this week, though I did bring my planner with me (well, one of my two physical planners, and one of my two physical journals, and two of my eleven remaining books mainly to keep me occupied on the train there and back).
This week really, is for me. For me to clear my head, for me to breath and stretch before my Fall schedule begins to click into place and the time for flexibility grows smaller. Though I have built in some flex time into my Fall schedule, I know how consumed I can become with work and how easily it becomes to forget to pause and take care of myself. I’ve never had a book project as part of my semester strategic plan either (how I plan to make that work will be its own post in the weeks to come). Nevertheless, before I head into the craziness that I’m sure will be this semester in which I am scheduled to teach 90 face-to-face, split over two classes two times per week, I am so looking forward to having a break where my biggest concern is when/where I will be able to get some genuinely delicious crab cakes.
My book is still at the forefront of my thoughts but getting a bit of space from it will be for the best. Having a chance to talk it through with my friend who isn’t a sociologist, professor, or even an intensely scary sports fan will be refreshing. My book at its core is a Black feminist narrative, and my best friend is a Black woman who has had similar struggles at least in some ways to the women discussed in my book—be it around our hair, or style. More than that, she will help me get out of my own head, and thus out of my own way if only for a week by giving me my newest little nibling to hold and love on while inhaling that wonderful new baby smell.
So, remember writers of all kinds, when you have an opportunity, do what must be done, and take a break!
