I am sitting in the lounge at Newark airport waiting for a flight back home. A football playoff game is on the tube and I am sitting in judgement of the fans as they groan and/or cheer the latest play. I order drink.
I have just spent three very full days in NYC walking through the curated collections of MoMA, the Met, and the Guggenheim. The last thing I want to hear and see is a game of sport after spending quality time with works of art spanning continents and centuries. But here I am. And tomorrow I return to teaching after three days of an attempt to extend winter break just a little bit more.
I began teaching art in 1995. I took a little break from teaching to go into "industry" just as we began the the great economic depression/recession of the new century. I took that as a sign. Back to teaching I went. Now, I head back to 150 middle and high school students and to writing student growth goals, learning targets, evaluation documentation, differentiated lesson plans, framework alignment, and semester grades.... I'm exhausted just thinking about it. I wonder when I'll actually paint this week.
Goodbye art. Goodbye theater. Hello students. Wheels up in 5.