Slice of Life 2022: 5 of 31- A Voluntold Situation is Unfolding

  It's March, and March means the Slice of Life Story Challenge. All are welcome to join the challenge of noticing and writing about the moments of daily life that are stories.

Friday afternoon seemed like a good time to look ahead and figure out the conflicts and schedules for the next couple of weeks. I know that Equity Week is coming up, but I can't remember if it's next week or the following week. I look through past emails about it, and I can't find the answer. I email the person in charge, and I'm a little surprised at her response. 

It's the week of March 14, and we have you on the schedule to present every day. 

Wait... reread...every day?!?

EVERY DAY?!?!?

I hold off on responding, and I try to remember the conversation that led to my agreeing to present to high school students about Black people's contributions to sports, as well as important figures of the Harlem Renaissance. I'd said no at first. (Repeat: I'd said NO! That should be a separate slice, since saying no is NOT one of my greatest skills!)

One day, the arm twisting happened...

There will be a teacher to support you with tech and students. (That could ease my anxiety.)

We have these new resources that you helped develop, and we should present them as a session. (That is true.)

Your presentation last year was so good, and they'd like to hear more from you. (I don't remember hearing then that people liked it.)

This morning, 24 hours later as I revise this post,  I'm now trying to figure out how ONE day became FOUR days with no name listed under the support person column. I'm also trying to figure out where the description of the session came from since I didn't write it, and it doesn't describe the aforementioned presentations. 

And I'm also trying to talk myself into the realization that this is a good thing... that I GET to present... that my to-do list will still be there if I miss a couple of hours a day next week... that the classrooms I'm working in will do fine without me... whether I say no to all four days and suggest one or two...how I can get the description of the session changed to be more accurate...

How (and why) this is NOT a unique occurrence!.!.!.