I hope this journey won't take long. . .Everybody needs a helping hand. . .

April 28, 2011


I won't lie.

A warm glow is spreading through me at the thought of the end of April.

Although that glow is struggling under the wet and soggy conditions we've endured this month in New Brunswick.

The Weather Network is predicting sunshine and warm temps tomorrow.

I hope so.

I need to dry out before Monday.






Monday brings Intersession.

Since beginning teaching in 1999, I have taught Intersession.

Not necessarily because I want to, but more because I have to.

Sort of the same deal with overload teaching during the standard academic year.

This May, Introduction to Qualitative Research Methods is on my dance card for the morning, 9.00-11.20, and Crime and Popular Film, 1.00-4.00 will round out my afternoons.

From Monday to Thursday.

Fridays. . .who knows what I'll do Friday.

Sleep?

Garden?

Nothing?

My bet is on the third option.






Intersession means we'll get through the summer as comfortably as possible.

Normally Stephen teaches, too.

But this year, I put my foot down. . .

. . .but not in a bully like manner, mind you. . . .

and said his energies were needed elsewhere.

For his doctoral proposal and subsequent doctoral research.

He was VERY reluctant about this.

In spite of being an intelligent, for the most part well-rounded kind of guy, he is a man.

And feels if he isn't teaching, if he's drawing Employment Insurance, he is less of a man because he's living from the avails of my teaching.

Bullsh**!

Completing his doctorate is THE most important task Stephen has before him.

Even more important that making sure every will and desire I have is fulfilled.

It's a sacrifice I'm willing to make.

And it shall be done.

Believe me.






Hence, no teaching for Stephen.

He argues he isn't "contributing."

Money.

This irks me: the man does all the house work around here and he thinks money is the only way to contribute?

If I made ten times the money I make now, which would be nice, it wouldn't compare to what Stephen does around the house.

And housework is another item on my agenda of Things Dawne Needs to Do To Free Stephen To Work on his Doctoral Proposal and Subsequent Dissertation.

This will most definitely prove to be the most challenging shift in how our house works.

As we already know, housework and I mutually dislike one another.

While housework and Stephen are very intimate.

Couple this with Stephen's deeply embedded, and probably accurate belief that he does housework better than I do, and you have a recipe for disaster.

Or compromise.

I don't know which is harder to achieve around here.

But I suspect it's the latter.

I have to suck it up and do for Stephen what he did for me during the final stages of my doctorate.

And he has to let me.

Infinitely harder.






Starting Monday morning, when I arise to get Em up for school, and prepare myself for Intersession, Stephen will also get up and head to campus to thrash out a draft of his proposal.

It'll be ugly until he gets into the swing of things. 

Until his brains realizes it can function before noon.

But I will persevere.

Because I love him and know how important this is for him.

And because I am planning on taking a sabbatical and then dropping to a standard teaching load afterwards. 

Just givin' him the heads up.



Title Lyric: Helping Hand by Amy Grant