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My Writing Tribe

For the third time of my life, I spent a weekend with teacher-writers in Lake Ann, Michigan. It was the much needed reprieve during the longest stretch of the year, the time when it starts to seem like no end is in sight. I'm feeling refreshed, full of ideas, and like I've accomplished so many things on my to-do list. 


 

Like the Nerdy Book Club, these teachers are my tribe. Though we are all from different summer institutes, we are all brought together as teacher consultants for the Eastern Michigan Writing Project. 

 

And trip after trip, I'm reminded that these people get me. 

 

I could wake up at 5:00 AM to read and write and not face judgment. I could share something I've written and only receive positive feedback if it was that early in the writing process. I could suddenly wander off alone and know that they would give me that writerly space. I could sit down in a bookstore and participate in a read aloud of William Shakespeare's Star Wars and laugh and celebrate something so nerdy.  I could share a frustration with my school or classroom, and they would listen and offer advice. I could ask for book recommendations and I know I'd leave with a laundry list. 

 

Though the demands never seem to lessen and the stakes always seem higher, I know that I can turn to these teachers, writers, and friends. And now, I'm counting down the days until the next retreat.

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