Rebuilding Rob

What are you doing this month that you’re looking forward to?

Special thanks once again to rojie for today’s prompt. if you haven’t done so already definitely check out her blog justrojie.com

Today is September 1, and it’s always been something of a bittersweet day for me. First and foremost, today would’ve been the old man’s birthday—or his heavenly birthday, if you want to call it that. Thoughts of him are heavily on my mind today. They always are. I try to honor his memory every day and be more like him. He had this incredible, practical way of making decisions that seemed almost self-evident, and I’m trying to bring more of that steady, rational approach into my own life. Just like he did, I want to build a better life so I can support both kid 1 and kid 2. With kid 1 stepping into adulthood, I want to be able to offer that mature, fatherly advice that only really passes between a young man and his father, while still being fully present and involved in everyday life with kid 2.

The Shift of the Season

Long before the old man passed, the start of September carried that bittersweet weight. It’s historically when the school year begins again for students at all grade levels, and it also means baseball season is winding down. This year, I’m facing the yearly inevitable fact that the Tigers will not be making the playoffs. When your team isn’t playoff-bound, or even playing above .500, the end of the season becomes a bit of an afterthought.

Despite all these heavy thoughts, I’m at a place where I am genuinely very happy in my life right now. We had our first day of school yesterday, and it went pretty much like one would expect—especially working with students online and dealing with the usual wave of computer glitches. I assume today will only be better, if for no other reason than the fact that it can’t really be much worse than Monday was.

Momentum and the Next Step

Of course, the start of the school year always signifies new hope, new promise, and a clean slate for students. It’s a chance for me as a teacher to see what we can accomplish with the kids I’m working with this year and just how far we can get. I’ve been riding some incredible momentum lately, but when things are going this well, part of the challenge is figuring out how to keep the wave going without eventually drifting and ending up dead in the water. That’s why I’m starting to turn graduate school over in my head—even if it’s just looking into schools and figuring out how to start saving for tuition so I’m ready for the next step.

As far as my situation with Sierra is concerned, things could not be better. We had some great quality time together this past weekend, both Saturday and Sunday, and we’re already making plans to get together again on Wednesday. I’m also hoping to meet her dad over Labor Day weekend. We’re both getting to the point where we just want to spend more time together, and we’re cherishing every minute of it.

So today’s prompt asks what I’m looking forward to doing this month. Honestly? I just want life to keep going the way it has been. I’ve been on a pretty good run these last few months, and I’m not ready for it to end anytime soon.

Rebuilding a life takes grit, consistency, and a lot of ‘Option C’ thinking. Having crossed the 1,000-day milestone, I’m now charting the territory beyond. The mission remains the same: No glitz. Just the work. New to the blog? Start your journey here to see the blueprint and the ‘Tricorder’ perspective behind the rebuild.

Today’s post is inspired by the WordPress Daily Prompt. While I’ve taken the topic in my own direction for the Road beyond 1,000 Days, you can find more responses to today’s prompt HERE.

Thanks for stopping by Rebuilding Rob. Be sure to like 👍, comment and subscribe below. It’s greatly appreciated! Also, feel free to follow me on social media and check out my recent posts!

• The Shape of September
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• Semi-Colons, Stream of Consciousness, and Other Blogging Confessions

AI art created by Google Gemini

The article “The Shape of September“ first appeared in Rebuilding Rob.