It's Not That Bad.

Talk about cold! It sprinkled a dusting of snow on Sunday night. Not a lot; just enough to make it look like someone had sifted icing sugar over the world. Then the clouds blew away and the temperature plummeted. Our little island is just not used to it. We have the Gulf Stream to keep things nice and mild. It snows a handful of times a year, and then it generally turns to slush before breakfast. Not this time. It feels like the heat has been sucked out of the world. Brrr! The thermometer in my car read -8.5C this morning on the way to work. That is seriously below acceptable freezing levels!



Ah, yes, work. Well, I've been fretting about going back all holiday, making myself miserable with the fear of the stress to come. I've been saying affirmations to try and keep myself from freaking out.



I whisper "I am an oasis of calm" half a dozen times a day, and you know, it seems to be working. Every time I feel myself getting wound up by something, I say my little mantra, and I physically relax. Whatever they do, I don't have to get worked up about it.



Actually, what I've found is that it really isn't that bad at work - or at least it hasn't been for the first two days back. The kids have been strangely calmer, well most of them. I did give one kid detention for yelling "Oi! Welton!" at me, instead of the more traditional "Excuse me, Miss". I even managed to get through a staff meeting without either saying anything career limiting or bursting into tears because the amount of work requested was so enormous.



In fact my colleague [someone in my department who had better remain nameless] has given me a new lease of life (he'd be thrilled to know it, I'm sure). He said that all his books were marked up to date. I groaned, knowing what the outrageous marking policy is, and wondering if the man ever sleeps.



"I just go round all the books during the lesson and tick them" he said.

"But do you read any of them?" I asked.

"No" he replied.



Now I know where I'm going wrong! - I'm actually reading the kids work when I mark it, instead of just ticking it! Of course! This makes my life so much simpler. At last, a way to keep up with the management's requests.



So, life is just not that bad. All I have to do is remain an Oasis of Calm.