Can't complain (much)

I could complain about how hard it is to get anything done in the brief gaps of time between student conferences today, but I'm the one who required all my first-year writers to meet with me about their drafts, so I'd just be kicking myself when I'm down--except I'm not down! How can I be down when my students are writing interesting and (mostly) competent essays, arriving at their appointments on time, and explaining how they plan to revise? 

Well, I could complain about the massive number of emails I received Sunday evening from students urgently needing answers to questions about Monday's exam--emails that arrived while my cranky internet connection was having some sort of extended hissy fit--but I'm the one who insists on living in a cave in Appalachia cut off from all modern communication technology. What do they want me to do, move to the city? I'm not moving! I like where I live! And besides, figuring out the answers on their own will help my students become more resourceful and resilient--and if their performance on the exam is any indication, it's working.

And I could complain about how little time I have for research and writing this semester thanks to four course preps all requiring lots of student writing, but I'm the one who insisted on teaching four different courses this semester because I don't like repeating myself--and besides, how can I complain when the provost just approved my request for a course release next semester to allow me time to edit a collection of essays on teaching comedy? I ought to be jumping up and down for joy.

Why don't I complain, then, about how hard it was to squeeze the caramel sauce out of the dispenser yesterday at the apple-slice bar on campus? I mean, all these people standing in line to get toppings for their celebratory apple slices, and the caramel sauce dispenser clogs up! What kind of place is this to work for? 

Of course, the apple-slice bar was celebrating Marietta College's making the Honor Roll in 10 out of 12 categories on the Chronicle of Higher Education's Great Colleges to Work For survey, and I'm definitely not complaining about that. Anyone who has been here more than five minutes can remember when this was most definitely not a Great College to Work For, but recent changes have made such an impact on campus that we all deserve a few celebratory apple slices. And if the caramel sauce is a little slow to engage--well, so am I after all these conferences.