Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Running to stand still

That is the title to one of my favorite songs off of U2's 1987 album, The Joshua Tree...

You got to cry without weeping
Talk without speaking
Scream without raising your voice

 ...and those were some of my favorite lyrics from the song.
Sometimes I want to scream, but I don't because I don't want to disturb the peace... do something illegal? Cause civil disruption? Is that part of the social construction of my identity as middle class? a citizen? a woman?

The title, Running to Stand Still, describes how I feel these days. The beginning of the semester eases into midterms and I'm on the hamster wheel again. It hasn't been as crazy as last year, when I got married and when my stepson, age 6, moved in. We did move this September, but I've finally taken the plunge, trusted, and we're homeschooling, and I'm happier.

But I have no time.
(Can I use but like that? Or do I have to say something like however? Are there any English majors out there?)

I have no time, and today I got cranky, because I had a paper due and I hadn't finished the rough draft. I was also late reporting for the distributed learning school. Being late is my Achilles heel.

I got mad at Stepson when he wouldn't, or couldn't focus on our "Observation for Learning (O4L)." We do this every week, and I always ask him to talk about the last week and I help him by prompting and reminding him, but today he couldn't come up with anything to say, and I was just putting words in his mouth. So I raised my voice and told him we had a two week trial period and failure meant public school. Did I mean that? I don't know...

Regardless, I'll have to apologise for yelling, and I guess we'll try discussing what's working and what's not working about homeschooling. Then what? Can you talk with almost 8 year olds about wants and needs in relationships? Maybe son will get it, but it's over stepson's head.

Son is verbal, Stepson, not so much. Rather he's full on kinetic; half the time you've got to hold both his hands and bend down to his eye level to be sure he's processing what you're saying. Son can be quite protective and supportive of his stepbrother, and this is often a help, but neither remember routine tasks well. What can I say, they're still 7. As well, I have noticed an improvement in their listening over the past few weeks, however, their improved behaviour doesn't coincide with my poor behaviour, of course :S

To conclude, I've had the Grateful Dead's Box of Rain stuck in my head for two weeks, now.

Look out of any window
any morning, any evening, any day
Maybe the sun is shining
birds are winging or
rain is falling from a heavy sky -
What do you want me to do,
to do for you to see you through?
this is all a dream we dreamed 
one afternoon long ago 
Walk out of any doorway
feel your way, feel your way
like the day before
Maybe you'll find direction
around some corner
where it's been waiting to meet you -
What do you want me to do,
to watch for you while you're sleeping?
Well please don't be surprised
when you find me dreaming too

Look into any eyes
you find by you, you can see 
clear through to another day
I know it's been seen before 
through other eyes on other days 
while going home --
What do you want me to do,
to do for you to see you through?
It's all a dream we dreamed 
one afternoon long ago

Walk into splintered sunlight
Inch your way through dead dreams
to another land
Maybe you're tired and broken
Your tongue is twisted
with words half spoken 
and thoughts unclear
What do you want me to do
to do for you to see you through
A box of rain will ease the pain 
and love will see you through

Just a box of rain -
wind and water -
Believe it if you need it,
if you don't just pass it on
Sun and shower -
Wind and rain -
in and out the window
like a moth before a flame

It's just a box of rain
I don't know who put it there
Believe it if you need it
or leave it if you dare
But it's just a box of rain
or a ribbon for your hair
Such a long long time to be gone 
and a short time to be there 

No comments:

Post a Comment