I am back at school today for the first time in nearly two months. In between online learning and a two-week holiday break, it feels disconcerting to be in the land of live-wire, masked kids again after having hibernated and hunkered for so long.
It is estimated that more than 10 million people a day are getting covid here in China, down from 30 million a day a few weeks ago. It barely seems possible that my family here in Beijing have not managed to get it yet. Being at school now, I wonder if it is just a matter of time. Our eldest, in Canada, caught it over the Christmas break, but she is weathering it like a champ.
Getting up at 5.45 AM this morning was no easy feat, but once in the swing of things, all will be fine. The coffee is already vibrating through my body, preparing me for the adrenaline surge to come. I am a creature of routine, and I do enjoy the vibe of people buzzing around me, especially energetic adolescents! (I know I may be the exception to this rule, but middle school teachers are a special breed.) Oh, and I am delighted to restart my pre-homeroom tai chi exercises with my friend, the school nurse! Even on days when I think I don’t have enough time, I always find myself invigorated after our meditative movements and able to move forward with clarity and purpose.
My new start today is simply starting school with a new outlook on how refreshing it is to be with people and be able to impart and receive positive energy. As for the negative stuff? I’m just going to let it bounce off of me. I have no room for that!
“Positive thoughts are like positive force which connect with positive energy to start producing positive results in your life.”
― Srinivas Mishra