Consolation of Schoolwork

The rain fell outside, which seemed to fit part of my current mood. The previous day had left me groaning about how I would not get to attend school due to my enemy called Sickness. To my surprise, a figure swept into the room that was most definitely not my mother, leaving me wondering why she entered. It was a woman dressed in a blazer and a-line skirt, with glasses perched on her nose. She took a look at me and sat down, despite my wishing she would leave so I could finish my current episode of Teen Titans. Somehow though, I knew she was not budging till we talked, so begrudgingly I paused the show and removed my headphones. She let out a sigh before she spoke.

“Judging by the expression on your face, you either do not recognize me, or you do and want to pretend like you do not.”

I took those few seconds to figure out if I could place her, and slowly it dawned on me. This was Schoolwork.

“It took a little bit, but now I can tell who you are,” I responded.

Schoolwork gave a smile. “Good. Now, there is a reason I have come to speak with you. I understand you have taken ill and dread missing school.”

“That is exactly it. I know staying home is for the best so I can regain my strength and recover, but I still cannot help feeling the way I do. Most people would say I am nuts, that not going to school should not make me react the way I am.”

“First off, attending school is not bad. It is where you go to learn, to expand your knowledge. If you go with an unwilling attitude, that certainly affects how you view it. Everyone does need a break from time to time, and I suppose you could call this yours. Think of it not as a time to sit around, but as a way to discover new ideas, refresh your mind. Does that make sense?”

I pondered her words for a moment. “Yes. If I understand correctly, you are saying that while being productive is good, sometime we need to take a step back, and that by doing so our minds can look at the work in a different light that we might not have seen otherwise.”

“Precisely. Breaks every now and then allow us to come back and make our work stronger by putting more time into them.”

As Schoolwork talked, it appeared as if the sun began to peek through the storm clouds. Maybe staying home would not be as bad as I thought.

“There are many analogies people might use for times like these. Arrows being pulled back before shooting forward, or a roller coaster diving down before it climbs back up. But no matter the circumstance, always try to find a positive aspect in it. Sickness attacks in the hopes that she will negatively affect good people’s lives. While the seriously ill cannot continue to work, those fairing better can remain diligent and utilize their time well so that they are not thrown off course. Finding ways to be productive and work on any schoolwork while at home means that it will not overwhelm,” she continued.

“But what about the fact that sometimes having more time feels like having less?”

“It does not matter what time feels like. The fact of the matter is that you have more time, about six hours, to do what you wish. Make the most of the extra time, and even if it feels like it is passing you by quickly, just remember that how you spend it will impact how you look back upon it.”

“But why then, in the afternoons, when I come home from school, does it seem like I get more accomplished?”

Schoolwork sighed. “The answer relates to what I said before. You have less time to accomplish your work, so you work more diligently, and therefore more gets done. When blessed with more time, people will waste it, which can result in scurrying around to tackle work. If they used it wisely, any feelings of pressure could be avoided.”

I nodded, affirming that her reasoning made sense. How true it is that talking an issue through can help!

“Thank you for coming to talk through my current situation. I feel much better about having to stay home and will try to manage my extra time well.”

Schoolwork smiled in satisfaction. “You now see that being at home sick may not be as bad as you think. I will not hold you any longer, so that you can go do as we have discussed.”

With that, she stood up and straightened her skirt. She took another look at me before she swept out of the room. I then proceeded to create a plan to tackle work, based on our discussion.