Roller Coaster

Woke up on September 1st. Ran almost six miles. Helped some friends move. Had a daddy-daughter date at the bookstore. Tried to learn Adobe Lightroom. Doodled in church. Had a daddy-daughter date at Cheekwood. Ran into a friend from high school. Went into work on Labor Day. Taught class. Sat through a four-hour HR session. Drove 90 minutes picking up the girls from school. Taught class. Drove 90 minutes picking up the girls from school and making it to soccer practice. Attended five meetings in six hours. Drove 90 minutes picking up the girls from school. Watched Lily’s first soccer game of the season. Drove to Dickson, Tennessee, and back. Help Hannah cook dinner. Packed for a two-day trip. Dealt with a four-year-old’s meltdown. Doodled in church. Flew to Iowa. Prepared to give a workshop. Photographed a cemetery. Gave a workshop. Spent three hours writing an important email. Talked to my girls on the phone. Photographed a sculpture. Flew back to Nashville. Got to work early. Stayed at work late. Worked out. Watched Speed. Taught class. Drove 90 minutes picking up the girls from school and making it to soccer practice. Dealt with a four-year-old’s meltdown. Met with students. Worked out. Watched Limitless. Cleaned the house.

Sent about a thousand emails.

Tried to teach my girls right from wrong.

Turned 36.

Attended my grandmother’s funeral.

Became an uncle again.

You know that feeling you get just before the roller coaster ride is over? You haven’t stopped yet, but you’ve slowed down. You catch your breath. Your heart rate slows. You still feel the excitement and fear from the ride, but you realize that it’s over. And that it might be okay to do it again.

That’s how I feel today.

Image: “Grande Boucle,” Raphael Goetter, Flickr (CC)