Last week, my school and 24 others in my part of the state, as part of a new consortium, began school.  Early. Which is something I was for, so this isn’t to complain. Just background.

So, picture last Monday, August 17. It’s hot.  No, really, really hot, and humid, over 100F with heat index. While the school is “dehumidified,” that does not means it’s comfy, just so you know. And hordes of adolescent bodies in a small space doesn’t alleviate the problem.

Also, my computer died. Over the weekend, as I was planning work. As anyone who knows me personally could attest to, I can’t live without computers, and most of my first-day lessons required the use of a computer, not to mention taking attendance and checking class lists, etc.

Oh, and did I mention the copier was down?  Yeah.  I’d gone in on Sunday to do my copying, on a day just as hot (and the “dehumidification” is turned off evenings and weekends), and the copier room was literally about 120F.  I wrestled with it, swore at it, cajoled it, and batted my eyelashes, to no avail.  Was still on the blink that Monday, the first day.

No computer, no comfort, no copies. Six new groups of kids in my room. What to do?!?

Well, I did what any teacher would do, but which would have caused me much more consternation just a couple of years ago. I winged it. I talked, I laughed, I didn’t stress out. I improvised, I actually taught a little, I smiled a lot. And sweated, but so did everyone else, of course.

And it was okay. I was still smiling at the end of the day, and I still got to meet my new kids, and I still got them to meet me, and it was all good.

My Taoist friends have been trying to convince me for years to chill a bit more, usually to no avail. I’m so un-Taoist that I’m still on chapter 1 of a book on using mindfulness to deal with chronic pain.  I’m like the Taoist nightmare.

But perhaps it’s working–a little–afterall. Don’t push the river, it flows by itself. I could use all the energy to face *real* crises, afterall!