After hours of Reading

One set finished…

Three articles left

And writing…typing

Sore shoulders & heavy brow

Walk now?...

Later!...

Mother calling…

Now?....

Not now!

Concepts jumbled….

Rough draft filled with challenges….

Too many exclamations!

Mind cluttered with questions, comments, insights, memories, thoughts, worries, duties….

Stomach whining…nudging for distraction…

Yet 3 yards away, looking for tasty tidbits, 

the dusty male cardinal is hopping gracefully through the dry crinkly leaves 

(that need to be raked) …

A flock of 5 honking geese fly in formation over my right shoulder to land 

with a swisssshhh --- splash in the water….

I yearn for quality time with my sleek blue kayak unceremoniously straddling 2 beat up old tires 

filled with stagnant rain water and mosquito larvae

Leave the computer…

Paddle now!

As my blood pumps and the cool air soothes,

My mind races!

A Researcher???

Me???

More than a decade separates me

from the time weakened cries

of my baby 

and youngsters

needing attention.

I do have duties,

I also have more time than ever before.

Even though my own childhood memories are more than 4 decades old, 

the observations and stories of students,

current Susans, 

bearing the brands of lazy,

under achiever, terrible speller, messy writer,

echo those recollections,

replaying the enormous effort resulting in the dull pain of

“not good enough”

or failure and frustration.

Can I do more than float gently, 

watching birds dive for supper 

and drift with the reddened sun as it sinks beyond the horizon?

Can I find a researcher beneath???

Can I discover insights 

that will 

transform,

even one student into a:

• Don Johnston- 
• (Who overcame challenges of dyslexia to become a CEO of a company 
• dedicated to helping students with special needs),
• 
  
• Ann Bancroft- 
• (Who was the first woman to reach the North Pole and is in the 
• National Woman’s Hall of Fame),
•   
• Thomas Edison- 
• (Who was a great scientist who brightened our lives),
• 
  
• Princess Beatrice of Great Britain- 
• (Who speaks out about dyslexia),
• 
  
• Patricia Polacco- 
• (Who first read at age 14 and now writes and 
• illustrates children’s books.)

The baton is accepted!

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