Sabbatical: Season 2
“All the world’s a stage.”
(William Shakespeare, As You Like It, Act II Scene VII Line 138.)
Instagram. Twitter. Facebook. Snapchat. Facetime. Duo. Periscope. Blogging.
Back in January, I spoke of my sabbatical as segments. When February arrived and I returned to the pace of my vocation the idea of a “season” had replaced the previously known “segment.” It is an example of how I incorporate media thinking into my life. Yes, if you are reading this and knew me back in high school, college, seminary, or those early days of full-time ministry, please, have a good, long, belly laugh. Planning was not a necessary ingredient back in the early days of my living or practice of my vocation. Radio and TV use terms like “block” and “segment” to plan intervals of time that make up a show. It is easier to take a theme or idea and break it into smaller junks of time than to program the entire 30 minutes or 60 minutes or 3hr radio show.
During Season 1, I completed some writing projects. It was a good process that taught me about the electronic frontier of self-publishing and its limitations. I spent some preliminary time pondering my thought projects about generic Christianity and moralistic therapeutic deism. I picked up a few books and set them down. I absorbed my entire Springsteen vinyl collection. I watched several films and TV shows. I spent two hours floating: an experience of only hearing the sound of your breathing and heart beat. There was an impromptu pasta making class. I spoke of and thought of sabbatical as “unsettling time.” That remains true for me.
During hiatus I began watching “Breaking Bad.” I saw part of season one during its original run and am now in season 3. A tale of moral relativism and what one will do for family. It has helped me make a bit of sense of the #graftpresidency and cynicism of the Trump era. I think it explains the dug in nature of his supporters and the Congressional enablers that fear them. I also watched some films from Oscar season: “Green Book”, “BlacKkKlansman”, and “Bohemian Rhapsody”. “Roma” looks interesting and I want to check out the animated shorts, but I won’t get to those until the summer.
I have crept into Season 2. Projects to complete. Others to debrief. Here, on day 3 of 37, I’m almost ready to begin time away. I am grateful to my colleagues at the Regional office and volunteers that are picking up my work while I am away. I can complete the punch list, most likely today, and beam up.
A preview of Season 2. Floating will return. I’ll be working on adding Kindle versions of my self-published books. The gym and the golf course are on the horizon as I need to exercise more if I’m going to make good use of the cholesterol meds I take, and the longevity my family genes. I would not claim to be the “Son of a Sailor,” but my love of the water, lake or ocean, is a gift from my father. The Caribbean is calling. My companion and I will travel a bit. Some people have a timeshare. We cruise. Ten days followed by some beach front time. I’m no pirate, but I am over forty. This summer we will go to our first Jimmy Buffet concert.
My companion and I are talking about producing a podcast. There are few clergy couples in our denomination, and maybe conversations about what this lifestyle is like would be interesting to someone. As old GenX’ers, we have participated in the contraction of our denomination and witnessed the rise of the watered down, profitable gospel. We’ve reached an age when people don’t ask us, “When are you having kids?” Instead, we are asked, “How old are your kids?” I don’t think I mentioned we are childfree. The podcast will be called Rev-Squared. No launch date yet. I’m still convincing my companion it is a good idea.
And, I have a reading list that I probably won’t get through, but these four will take up my reading blocks during Season 2. That is a peek at the next 34 days.
