the times, they are a changin'

I have long disliked the general greeting of "Hi, how are you?" Truly, no one answers sincerely. Okay, Jeremy VanDeeman does. But no one else. Why say something that is so vacuous and empty of meaning? But yet! I do it too. It's a habit, and one that I wish I didn't have. But then again, I really don't enjoy meeting people, so really, it's a security thing. But more on not liking new people for a different day.

Anywho. My point is that quite often when I'm asked this question, usually at church it seems, I get a bit miffy on the inside about how dull my response is. But nothing really truly happens with me much. Nothing out of the ordinary; I thrive on order and a schedule. My life is really, fairly predictable. Alas! No longer!

Hence, the times...they are a changin'. My life is not so scheduled! (But then again, it is even more so in some ways.) My life is different! It is changed! I have variance amongst my endless days of monotony and minutiae! I have stuff to talk about. (I confess, however, I still answer "fine" at church. Unless I really know the person. Then I say that I'm well.)

No job for the moment. No blase (pretend that the "e" has an accent) drive to and from a windowless room. No windowless room for that matter; I changed rooms and now have a veritable room with a view. No same old same old to bring for lunch each day. No come home, do homework for the rest of the night. No grading papers and homework assignments. No bells running my daily life. No schedule!

No paycheck (ah, there's the rub!), but still...

Basically, I'm feeling a bit sad in a I'm-missing-out-on-everything sort of way. Teachers reported to work today to begin the new school year, and shockingly, it apparently went smoothly even without me. I wonder how long it will take for me to stop checking the time each day and thinking, "Okay, I would be in 2nd period now...Alright, the bell is going to ring for lunch in a few minutes...Whoa, it's already three o'clock. I would have been home by now."

All in all, Abby and I had a great day capped by an impromptu shopping expedition and free sandwich at Arby's. I'm glad that I'm out of the loop for a few months, cause seriously, that means that I'm way more in the loop with my daughter who needs me oh so much more than some boogery teenagers. Besides, once the new-school-year smell wears off, it's not nearly as much fun.