I’ve been running around like a chicken with my head cut off (I have seen this scenario in real life, but I’ll tell you that story another time) trying to complete applications for various scholarships, residencies, and conferences. I was still fretting over not writing much, but then it occurred to me that all those applications requested statements of purpose that I needed to craft. One page max, two pages double-sided, ten to fifteen pages of your work, collate and mail four copies of this application packet…the list of requirements goes on. How is one supposed to work, live, do MFA homework, write, and apply for money all at the same time? My therapist says I need a secretary. I think to myself, I can barely afford you, how am I going to afford a secretary. I think I need a clone. All jokes aside though, these things have sucked up my life into a black hole.
The exciting news is that I have been writing. In the program last week, we were given exercises that generated some new material for me. Now the challenge is typing up this new material and taking off with it. The amount of reading we are doing this week has been reduced greatly or perhaps it’s the beauty of having perspective on the whole situation. I’m paying you so I can write; imagine this concept! So because I am crazy enough to do that, I will read what I can, take what is useful now, and store the rest for the me in another lifetime. Brilliant, huh? Why I hadn’t thought of this before, I do not know. Hell, it’s only my third masters degree. One would think I had learned this trick by now.
So anyway, in our program we have these mandatory events on Saturday nights that are actually quite delightful. Except for its mild handicap of immediately following an 8-hour class day in which I (non-morning person) would have been awake since 7, and had spent the next 2 hours prepping and commuting, then the next 8 discussing, and reading, and writing, and listening to my “Speycial” classmates. You know, those folks who just don’t have it in them to know when they’ve said enough or when they have contributed their fair share of ideas and opinions for the day. I have two such “Speycial” folks in my cohort. Over the last two weeks, I have had to remind myself that it could be worse. I could be sitting in a classroom with these two for more than 6 weekends a semester. So I tell myself, 2 down 4 to go. It’s going to be just fine. So far, I’ve managed survive and not cut my eyes at them directly. I’m practicing compassionate listening.LOL So anyway, these events thus far have been interesting. This week, we will be participating in the SF Litquake. How exciting! Well, I think so. It’s such a pity that I’ve been in SF three Falls and I am just now hearing of Litquake. Anyway, I will be there following my 8 hours of class with my wonderful professor and lovely cohort.
On anther note, everyone wants news from Ghana. They will be forth coming. As much as I am tempted to say “shortly” at the end of that sentence, something tells me my body is not done processing to spew anything out yet. I have gotten some snippets of conversations and dialogue written, but nothing firm yet. Perhaps I need to get some prompts from folks about the types of things they would like to hear or know about from my trip. Then I might be triggered to write…or not. It all remains to be seen.
Musings of An African Woman 
Much love and good energy to you as you work through all these applications, classes, events, and so forth! 🙂