2023 Week XXXII. Crossroads

 Hello Internet,

I am at a crossroads in my life.

This week, I begin my first official year as a teacher.  Though I have been working as an educator of some sort off and on for the past five or so years, this is my FIRST big kid teaching gig, and I'm already overwhelmed.  I have been good about reminding myself that I can only do so much and being respectful to myself and my time, but it is hard not to feel anxious as everything changes and as you feel like your world is changing and shifting all around you.

To this end: I will have less time to write.  Which is, sadly, okay by me.  The truth is that I have been feeling burned out creatively.  Last month, I didn't finish a Camp NaNo for the first time in years, and I barely managed to pull out the May Camp NaNo I did.  For the first time since I have learned about NaNoWriMo, I am not looking forward to it.  I feel creatively fried, and I know that the school year is only going to take more out of me than I have to give right now.

Which is why I am choosing my road less travelled.  I love stories.  I live and breathe writing.  Yet, for the first time, I find myself drawn to something more important: my family.  When I did student teaching, I realized that I had to let something settle.  I gave up my DnD campaign for the last few months to finish the semester and picked it up afterward.  I don't know that I can do that for a whole year, though, which is why I am choosing to, maybe--maybe!--write less.

I will never stop writing completely.  I live writing.  I breathe it.  I do not believe in God, but if God is real, then God is a storyteller.  Stories are the closest thing to religion I have, and writing is my form of prayer.  It is worship. It ties me spiritually to the world, but I am nearly drowning in what little bit I am getting done, and I do not know how long I will be able to tread water when the school year begins.  Who knows, maybe having that strucutre will save me.  If not? I need to let a few things go.

As a result, I am saying goodbye to Patreon, and I will be slowing production of content for the foreseeable future.  I will still try to produce weekly blog posts for my own mental health, and I will keep Ko-fi open in case anyone stumbles onto the words I am slinging and wants to buy me a coffee.  I will update stories when I can, but I want to take back my passion for writing, which has sadly been lacking for the past few months.

Until next time...

Sincerely,

RWS

P.S.

-Short Rest-

-Short Rest Schedule-

1. The Color of Magic/Free Play/Critical Role Campaign 3

2. Batman Vol. 4/Marvel’s Avengers/Seven Deadly Sins

3. The Emperor and I Vol. 4/DnD5e/Gargoyles

4. Fables: Animal Farm/Xenogears/Firefly

5. My Hero Academia Vol. 17/Free/Young Justice

6. Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers Vol. 1/Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origins/Voltron: Legendary Defender

7. Book Break/Dragon Age II Athen Hawke/Dimension 20: A Crown of Candy

-Books-

0. One Piece 1087

1. Discworld/The Color of Magic reread

2. SJ/One-Punch Man Vol. 22, Punch 106: “Orochi vs. Saitama”—106 100% (5—5)

3. DC/Justice League Vol. 1: “Origins” 100% (6—6)

4. SJ/The Emperor and I Vol. 4, Ch. 36: “Emperor and the Documentary”—38 70% (15—20

5. Fables: Animal Farm 8—10 40% (3—5)

6. SJ/My Hero Academia Vol. 17, Ch. 151: “Mirio Togata!!”—157 30% (4—10)

7. PR/Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers Vol. 1/0—4

8. MF/Soul Eater Vol. 3, Ch. 7: “Uncanny Sword (part 1)”—9 25% (2—4)

9. Marvel/Ultimate Spider-Man 1—13

10. SJ/Boruto: The Next Generation Vol. 11, No. 40: “The Invisible Jutsu”—43 0% (1—4)

11. World of Warcraft Chronicle Vol. 2

-Games-

0. Stardew Valley

1. –

2. Marvel’s Avengers 0% (0/52hrs)

3. DnD5e/Movie

4. Xenogears ??% (?/66hrs)

5. Write Night

6. Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origins 43% (13/30hrs)

7. Dragon Age II Athen Hawke 2% (1/48hrs)

-Shows-

1. Critical Role Campaign 3 Part I Ep. 5: “The Threat Between the Walls”—11 (Level Up to 5) 18% (5—11)

2. Anime/Seven Deadly Sins Season 1 92% (23—24)

3. Disney+/Gargoyles Season 1 62% (9—13)

4. Rewatch/Firefly 35% (6—14)

5. HBO/Young Justice 42% (12—26)

6. Cartoons/Voltron: Legendary Defender Season 7 8% (2—13)

7. Dimension 20: A Crown of Candy 8: “Deep Bleu Sea”—19 37% (8—19)

8. Movies 13% (2—8)

-Anime/.hack//LIMINALITY “The Case of Yuki Aihara”

-Owned/Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within

-Netflix.

-Disney+/Bambi

X2: X-Men United

Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back

-HBO/My Neighbor Totoro

-DCAU/Batman: Mask of the Phantasm