Sunday, May 15, 2011

Spring Awakenings

Do you find that your life revolves around themes? I think all of ours do, but I am paying close attention ever since I was hired to teach the Capstone class at the college where I work. (This course, taught to seniors, results in a 15-page paper focussing on the academic themes of the students' work).

My theme lately can be summed up in one word: CLEANSE.

It started with my sister and a book she shared with me. Both she and her friend were on the program for a week when I saw them recently. Not only had they both lost weight, but there was a certain glow emanating from them. The whites of my sister's eyes were so white, her skin so smooth, that I immediately decided I was going to try it out.

There's nothing too crazy about this cleanse - it's nothing like the Master Cleanse, which immediately gave me one of the worst migraines of my life when I tried it. No, this is simply a way of mindful eating - a vegetable 'smoothie' for breakfast, a normal meal for lunch (minus things like wheat, carbs, certain fruits, etc. etc. - it's mostly about staying away from processed foods and eating lots of whole foods) and a fruit smoothie for dinner. I'm on day 7 and I feel great. At first I wanted to get up and graze every hour, as I think I normally do, but that impulse reaction has died down. The goal is to eat this way for 3 weeks and I know I'll be able to do it. It's just that easy.

More cleansing is coming around my car. I recently got an adorable green Mini Cooper and am now it the process of selling my Audi. I've spent the past two weeks riding in the back of my own car as strangers take it for a spin. I met a gang of young Russian friends (who pulled up in a Boxter and spilled out like a clown car), an Iranian father/daughter duo, an Indian tech worker and a Mexican couple. It's like the UN over here. I'm hopeful that two of the interested parties will make an official offer tomorrow and I will finally wash that car right outta my hair (and send it on its way).

Even more cleansing is occurring with my grade book, my folders and my in-box. School's out for summer and I am weeding through old lesson plans, emails from students, uncollected papers, journals, you name it. My home is saddled with their crap and you know what? I don't want it! I've become very close with my recycling bins over these past few days. Buh-bye notes begging me to accept late papers, so long midterms that were never picked up.

In another week I'm heading back to Salt Lake City for the sentencing hearing of the Brian David Mitchell case. This story, that has dragged on for years and years and years, will finally come to an end on May 25th. You can bet I'll blog about it as soon as it's over. I'm looking forward to meeting up with my newfound court friends and seeing Elizabeth Smart released from that ball and chain of a memory.

I'd love to hear what themes are playing out in your life right now. Drop me a note in the comments section!

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