9x9x25: Reflection

I'm busy.

This is usually a line used to decline an invitation. To be honest, it was a line I was tempted to use when I started the 9x9x25 challenge.

"I'm busy" is not a subjective term in my case:
-I'm a full-time high school English teacher at Tri-City Prep, which means I regularly clock 50 hours a week between the clubs I advise (Denobis/Creative Writing, Pep Club, Mock Trial), grading essays, and any extracurricular activities (field trips, science symposia, music concerts, etc.).
-I'm a creative writing adjunct at YC.
-I'm the co-municipal liaison for Nanowrimo (National Novel Writing Month), which hosts workshops in November.
-I'm in a writing group that meets at Method Coffee.
-I co-lead a small group at Heights Church.
-I've been auditing Master Chorale to sing in The Messiah for the Christmas concert.
-I'm a full-time student with Rio Salado finishing my teaching certificate for K-12.
-I'm a part-time student with YC working on an Associates in Administration of Justice (classes I started to lend believability and authenticity to my detective novel).
-Somewhere in there I'm working on several novels and short stories.

Can I also just say I hate telling people all the things I do? I heard a quote once to the effect of "Don't tell everyone what a hard worker are: let the evidence of your work be your testimony." I try to live by that rule as much as possible. I suppose this translates into yes-tourettes: I have a hard time saying no, because I have a harder time saying, "I can't because I'm so busy blah blah blah understand my struggle, say nice things because you pity my over-commitment blah blah blah."

Here is how September went for me:
Curtis: You have a blog, right?
Me: A neglected one, yes.
Curtis: Have you heard about the 9x9x25?
Me: Ummm....
Curtis: [Explains the program.] And we give you prizes --like Ben&Jerry's.
Me: Ben&Jerry's, eh?
Curtis: You should do it!
Me: I'll think about it. Maybe.

That said, here is what I have learned about 9x9x25. I've learned that like Nanowrimo, budgeting time for me is a great outlet. I'll be honest: my Nanowrimo hasn't done so hot this year (I'll still catch up. It'll be okay. I think.), and it's nice to at least have something like 9x9x25 with weekly accountability and on-campus conversations about how the blogging is going. Because the thing that both of these writing hobbies shows me is that I need to budget time for me, too, and while it's easy to budget TV down time where I crochet and go brain-dead for as long as that episode lasts, it's also nice to nourish myself intellectually through the written word. (All of you more linear thinkers who see writing as a chore is probably scoffing, but it's true! Writing is my relaxation!)

Anyway, so here's to the 9x9x25 challenge! Woo hoo! Season complete, lessons learned, blog effectively uses as a venting tool, and I hope next year is as nourishing and inspiring.