How I wish my girls knew how often I think about them...

Let the love-fest continue...

OK so this whole being a grown-up thing stinks sometimes. And when all you want is some fried chicken on a beach, or Easter with friends, or a metacognative chat on the porch of the REP where you are reminded that others cry for no reason sometimes too... it is hard to focus on all the grown up things you have to do.

You three ladies are by far some some of the most intelligent, inspirational, creative, loving, supportive and sassy people I know and I can't believe it has taken me leaving Orlando to realize it. I should have said it more when we were in the same state but I find myself daily thinking....How would Amanda have taught that lesson? What would Cicely have used to describe this? Or what would Liz (Elizabeth I know....but in my thoughts I think Liz, so I am not going to lie) have thought about that situation? I didn't realize until this experience how much I truly value each and every opinion you all have (whether requested or not =) ) and I think this time apart has only reaffirmed how much I want to play with all of you in the future. I can't wait to see what AMAZING things we all do!

And now on to a Cicely style entry for your reading pleasure....What has Amie been doing for the past month!

- My OFFICIAL residency is over and the binder has been turned in! CHECK! I still have until the end of April with Metro but the paperwork part is over.

- I just finished a wonderful week long residency with a fifth grade that was self admittedly being torn apart by bullying. We worked, we challenged the students thinking and at the end of the residency I was attack-style group hugged by 3 of the 4 classes. One of the teachers cried in front of the class when we were closing about the difference the work has made in only a week and that she hopes the students hold onto the feelings have had throughout the week. Lets put it this way, at the beginning of the week when we defined oppression and the role of the rescuer I had a group for students question WHY we (USA) helped the Jews in the Holocaust because "It wasn't our business" and "They Nazi's didn't do anything to us" so clearly they saw no need to step in when some simple bullying was going on the their school. By the end of the week it was a whole different story.

- This week I will finish a residency at the Children's Home Society of St.Louis, working with 10 AMAZING young people who have been adopted out of traumatic homes as well as a therapist who make our work even more powerful!!!! We will begin again in January and I can't wait to see what happens next!

- We (Metro) will begin our New Work Incubator on December 3 and I am so stoked to see what these amazing people and guests (including Jose Cruz Gonzalez!!!!) will create!

- I got over my electronic fears and created a BLOG for Metro, so that we can document not onlt this process but future ones to come. You should follow us www.metrotheatercompany.blogspot.com

- I have written my intro and first chapter of my thesis and turned them in...I have a schedule in place that will hopefully allow me to make some progress and not continue to be a big 'ol slacker. I am still terrified but I have realized that I am more terrified that I won't graduate than I am about writing my thesis....Odd what will motivate you!

- I am about 9 and 1/2 months from becoming Mrs. Amie Elizabeth Dunn Kisling EKKKKKK and I have not even begun to plan...Other than all of you need to save SEPTEMBER 5th !!!! Day planners out....write it down.....I will wait.....did you do it?......I know you are laughing, but are you writing?

- I MISS YOU ALL LIKE CRAZY!!!! Anyone going to SETC so I can see you before May?

Ok I think that is it for now...I wish all of you a wonderful thanksgiving week and I hope you know how thankful I am for each and every one one of you!

Amie

How I wish people could hear me talk about them when they're not there ...

How I've always wished that. Because as awkward as I may be in your presence, and how tactless my efforts at compliments may come across, I am REALLY good at complimenting people when they are not in front of me to make me feel nervous/intimidated/awkward/self-conscious ...

I was at the thirty-year anniversary for my undergraduate program this weekend, and I started talking with a girl that interviewed with Amie to work at LCT the past couple of years. Amie and I have talked about this girl, and I know that Amie loves her, so I try to motivate her to keep pursuing her relationship with the theatre.

Anyway, I was in heaven talking to this girl, who happens to metacognate in spirals more naturally than any non-graduate student I think I've ever met. She's in the beautifully vulnerable and simultaneously exciting point in her life where she wants to do a million different things. As I was talking with her, these were some of the things that came up:

• "No, Amie would love to talk with you even if she doesn't work at LCT anymore. She's awesome like that."
• "Amie would LOVE to hear you talking this way. She's such a go-getter, and it's awesome that you're the same way."
• "I know, doesn't everyone at LCT love each other so much? At first I was a little weirded out when everything Amie said was so 'warm and fuzzy,' because I was so not like that, but she's softened me up so much, and I really needed that."
• "You want to work in London? Well, Amie's done that too! You need to keep in touch with her -- she is a great connection to have."

I left the conversation feeling rejuvenated and ready to hop on a plane with Cicely, pick Amie up, and then hop on another plane to Scotland so that we could all be together again. I realized I am luckyluckyluckyluckyLUCKY to know so many amazing people. Because had community-based work come up, I would have bragged just as much on Cicely. Had international connections come up, you know I would have bragged on Amanda!

Point is, you girls are sensational. As much as I suck at blogging, facebooking, calling, writing, and all things based in keeping in touch, know that this is not a November, turkey-induced thankfulness that I am feeling. I feel thankful for each one of you each and every day.

A few points for mid-November

Since I last posted:

• I found a renewed sense of that school-work-pressing-deadlines urgency, so I've made substantial thesis progress.
• Just as I feel GREAT about making so much progress, I feel a crushing pessimism surrounding the mountains of research and writing I still have to conquer.
• I miss having Amie and Amanda tell me to STOP researching and START writing... Last night I digitally sifted through over 50 downloaded articles for my next chapter.
  
• I love my job. I want to keep working there.
  
• I question myself in my job almost everyday. When I do mostly teaching, I wish I was doing more admin. When I'm not teaching, I feel like I should be.
  
• I've been reading about youth and digital media, and felt inspired by this Edutopia's articles about digital storytelling and defeated by the NEA Mark Bauerlein's website, The Dumbest Generation. Check them out.
• In the third year, we wear three hats: life, work, thesis... I only feel successful at these 1 at a time. Clean house = no work, no writing. Work hard = live in filth and sleep instead of write... Write all day = eat fast food and forget to shower... You get the picture.
  
• Amie, update us soon.
  
• Liz, update us soon.
  
• I miss you loads.
• That's all for now.