Showing Myself Grace

If someone told me that summer break as a teacher would not be as fun as summer break as a student, I still would be a teacher! I am thankful for all of this extra free time I am rewarded for being a teacher. This is the one profession that I would proudly advocate for deserving a long and needed break.

This summer, I have been using my time to really just rest and travel. To kick off the summer, I went to my annual family reunion at the Coe Ridge in Kentucky. It was great getting to see my distant family members and learn a little more about our history. It made me even more proud of my last name.

The next week, I traveled to California for the first time to assist my sister in moving in. She was offered an internship in San Diego and will be staying there the entire summer. Initially the move into the AirBnb was a little unexpected, to say the least, but after a week we finally got a lot of issues settled and I was able to return home knowing that my sister would be okay.

That trip alone could be an entire blog post, which I might write about next, but in this post I have another topic in mind.

Remaining Focused

With so much time on my hands, I am learning a lot more about myself. It is said that what you do behind closed doors, when no one is watching, determines what type of person you are.

I find myself alone a lot. I have the time and the privacy to do anything I want. I can write more, which is what I mostly do, I can learn a new skill, I can even start a business, if I choose to do so.

With so much extra time, the anxious thought of, "What if I'm wasting it" always pops into my head.

You all know that I am not someone to relish living a stagnant life, let alone even think that I am living a stagnant life. That is why I am always finding myself doing something with my time even if it's not always immediately beneficial.

Recently, I have been writing so much more because a year ago, I consciously decided within myself that I was to become a writer. Technically, I have always been a writer. I started writing in a personal journal when I was ten years old. However, last year (or whenever this blog started) was when I wanted to take my writing skills to the forefront of the internet.

Since becoming a teacher, I have realized how important literacy truly is and what a privilege it is to have that ability. I now teach students the fundamentals to reading, writing, and all the other subjects and it's amazing!

With so much of my energy being focused on teaching, I have been failing to remember the promises I made to myself. That is why I have been going so much harder in my writing endeavors now that it is summertime and I have more time on my hands.

Keeping Promises

You all remember my first blog post on this website. I expressed my desires of wanting to build a community here. I cannot build one if I am not consistently posting.

I can't promise a post every single week. I have to be honest with myself and definitely honest with my readers. What I will promise is at least one post a month, no matter what that month is throwing at me.

Also, readers, I want you all to remember that this isn't the only platform I am writing on. On Medium I strictly write reviews for movies, tv shows, and games. I am slowly building my community on that platform as well.

This summer I have also been becoming more structured in a book idea that has been living in my brain for over a year now. The good news is that I am finally getting it written down on some paper. Things are moving in my writing journey, even if they are moving at 2 miles an hour.

I will not let my brain trick me into thinking that I am not doing enough or that I am being stagnant in my life. I must show myself a little more grace. I hope the same for you readers too.

Give yourself some grace and smile at the things that you have accomplished because you deserve a little recognition.

Until next time.

Jefferson K. Coe