My defining moment during my much needed, one-week, August vacation week came on Wednesday evening, after a delightful home-cooked meal at our cabin in Michigan, when Emily said, “What would you like to do tonight?” She did NOT ask, “What would you like to WATCH tonight?” The difference is indicative of all that comes with those two different verbs. But this isn’t a rant against t.v. or enjoying those desperate moments when fatigued – physically or emotionally – and just zoning out.
Rather, this is a call to action, a call to DOing, if you will. In my week of DOing, I slept less, cycled more (3 great country rides that burned out my legs), built two shelving units and three planter boxes for the new garden, which I also dug out and de-weeded; we swam, canoed, hung out with friends, and yes, worked some too.
I noticed a curious thing which I have known to be true -– when watching the tele, I sometimes long for the energy to to DO something different. On the other hand, I never once longed to be WATCHING while I was consumed by the DOing.
GCE inspires me into a different kind of DOing, the kind that gets me out of bed and into the office for 12-14 hour days. GCE inspires me to envision possibilities for every type of educational opportunity, network, and resource we can use to engage our students, staff, and community in general. GCE inspires me to build relationships of value. And on account of GCE, my t.v. habits have shifted: my preferred channel is no longer ESPN (shockingly). It’s now the History Channel, with the Travel Channel coming in a close second and DIY Network third. And it makes sense…even my tv time, often though not always, has been turned into a phase of DOing, albeit merely preparation.