The Sabbatical - Day One

50.  That's how old I am as of this moment.  Actually, to use the nomenclature of the young, whom I think I aspire to espouse, I am 50 and a half, plus a little.  I have been working steadily, often in multiple settings and at various projects, particularly if you include work where compensation is...shall we say limited, since I was sixteen.  Which is thirty-four and a half years, plus a little.  Except during that very unpleasant recession in 1981, but that's another conversation.

And I begin to think that I have let myself be defined by what I do in ways that surprise me.  Perhaps that is inevitable.  Who are we except for what we do?  Whatever we do...we do relationships...we do work...we do recreation...lots of different things we do and we define ourselves.

Michael does theater...and education.  And that is how I have allowed myself to be defined.  And to at least some extent I like that.  Theater and education are great things and I am happy to be defined that way.  But I have become so busy DOING them that I'm not so sure who I am within them.  Or maybe why I am doing them?

On another front, I have been working for the Roseville Schools for eleven years now, which is the measurement which has in the past indicated time for change.

Anyway, these are some of the things that lead me to see that a time for a change is upon me and I have been working toward a change for a couple of years but now Katie is going to graduate and Sheri and I have divorced and I think to myself, "What the fuck?  Why am I working so hard?"  And I need to be healthier and exercise and have more reflective time and, "Holy, shit!  It just goes on and on..."

Time to reboot.

And it's a unique opportunity to do a real reboot.  To completely clear the system and put some energy into carefully selecting the things that get back in.

So, as of this moment, my plan is to do my reboot in June, 2013.  Sell the house, sell everything that won't fit into my Prius (maybe store a few things) and go forth and experience life without being responsible for organizing and working it.

So this is day one of The Sabbatical.  For the next twelve months I am going to engage the Preparations For The Sabbatical.  Preparing the mind, body and soul for the moment when the reboot occurs.

Things to do as a part of The Preparation:  Make a bucket list.  Get healthier so that a lack of health insurance during The Sabbatical isn't a huge risk.  Find places to land.  Renew the passport.  Sell your stuff.  Quit your job.  Handover responsibilities at Roseville Schools, RAHS Drama, Eat Street Players and MN Thespians.  Save some money.  Learn how to eat and live on almost nothing.  Get into the habit of journaling (here).

Okay.  This is day one.  Reboot minus 364 days.