Daily Writing Prompt for Friday, March 7th

I learned today that at least one person, a teacher’s assistant, thinks I do a good job in working with the younger elementary grades. I substituted today in a first grade class and had a good experience. I’ve worked with this particular group of children before and that certainly helps. I normally just like to work with the older elementary students, so it was good to hear someone who would know say that I was doing a good job. – David Lee

Daily writing prompt
What is the last thing you learned?
View all responses

The First Couple of Days: A Hiatus from Social Media

I’m taking the season of Lent to take a break from all social media. The first two days have been relatively easy, but I’ve caught myself going through some of the same motions as before….

Wednesday, March 5th was my first day away from social media. It also happened to be the only day this work week I didn’t have a substitute teaching assignment. To make things even more interesting, we had rain most all of the first hours of daylight and I had to find things to do to stay away from my tendency to look on social media.

In the morning hours, I started a new routine with several devotional books. One of the books, Streams in the Desert, is an old favorite. In addition to reading entries each day, I make notes in my journal. Another book is one that allows me to see daily readings on letting go of attachments. I also made notes from this book. I also continued playing four online games using the New York Times website, although I wasn’t able to post my daily results to my Facebook page as I would normally do. I have started posting the results here on my WordPress page each day.

At several points during that first day, I caught myself looking on my phone and came to the quick realization that there wasn’t much there for me to look at. Facebook, SnapChat, Instagram, and TicToc apps had been uninstalled from my phone and FB Messenger as well. I didn’t find myself looking at my phone as much on day two because I had a fourth grade substitute teaching assignment and had to direct most of my attention to that task. I do usually post at least one picture with each substitute assignment and I had to remind myself I wouldn’t be doing that.

The fact I’ve taken this same hiatus from social media for several years now makes the whole process a whole lot easier. I do miss catching up on the comings and goings around town and seeing what others are up to, but that’s one of the likable assets of social media that I know I’ll have to do without.

Day three is nearly half done and I haven’t been tempted as many times today. And as I have found in previous sabbaticals away from social media, I know it gets easier in the days and weeks to come.

Such is the nature of the beast…

David Lee

My Favorite Drink….

Daily writing prompt
What is your favorite drink?
View all responses

It would be nearly impossible to list just one. In the colder months, it’s definitely coffee….To be specific, sugar-free vanilla or pistachio latte, breve, with whipped cream……In the warmer months, I gravitate towards either diet Sundrip or Mt. Dew….either one will work.

And truth be told, I’d drink all three, given the chance, any time of year.

David Lee

Lenten Sabbatical from Social Media

Once again this year, I’ll be taking a leave of absence from all social media during the season of Lent. The time period is officially Wed, Mar 5, 2025 – Thu, Apr 17, 2025, but I always extend it until the morning of Easter Sunday, which will be April 20th. I’ve taken this sabbatical for the past several years and while it’s difficult to adjust to at first, it gets easier as time goes by.

There are a lot of benefits to being a part of social media. I have developed friendships with quite a few folks, including some who live quite a distance away that I’m fairly sure I’ll never actually meet. There are those “actual friends” as well that I am able to keep up with and see what’s going on in each of their lives and that will be something I miss.

I enjoy sharing my daily readings each day and I’m once again planning on leaving links to the website that those can be accessed for those still wanting the daily reads. I will truly miss posting my daily “punnies.” Of all the things I post each day on Facebook, those are the ones that people seem to enjoy the most.

There are those parts of social media that I won’t tend to miss as much. Of course the multiple ads that I see each day will be one of the things it’s not difficult to live without. I also won’t miss the sometimes-constant talk of politics that seems so divisive with folks these days. This part of social media I will not miss.

When I’ve taken some time away from social media before, it’s difficult at first, but gets easier with time. The big question always comes when Easter Sunday arrives and it’s time to return and I question whether or not I really want to do that. It’s a thought-provoking question that happens every single time.

We shall see….

David Lee

My Adventure with Dentures – Part Ten

Nearly two months ago, I had my remaining teeth removed and immediate dentures put in their place. The journey has been anything but easy and definitely life-changing. As time goes on, I’m getting more used to having them and eating is not the chore it once was. Lessons definitely have been learned and I think I’m finished with the most difficult days.

Several things come to mind when I share my thoughts on this journey. The first is that no one could be prepared for the changes that getting dentures will bring about. I took so many things for granted when I had my own teeth. Getting dentures definitely changes the whole process of eating food. I’ve lost nearly twenty pounds since the beginning of this journey. Your taste receptors are definitely different and food doesn’t taste almost as good as it once did.

I have gradually gotten back to eating some foods I enjoyed before denture placement. Sandwiches have been especially challenging. I have found it’s difficult to use my front teeth to break the bread into pieces. But as we say, practice makes perfect and I am getting better. I did eat a pork chop one evening and I found that I have to cut the meat into small pieces before putting it in my mouth. I have as of yet to eat a steak,,,maybe one day soon.

One of the biggest differences in eating meals after having dentures installed is that eating meals is now really a chore! I have to focus more on each bite of food that I put into my mouth. Since the dentures contain teeth that aren’t connected to my body’s nervous system, I have to focus more on each bite. I don’t eat nearly the volume of food that I used to, which at least in part is responsible for my weight loss.

I have also found that I pay a whole lot more attention to other people’s teeth. I’ve noticed quite a few that are missing several teeth and wonder if they’ll be facing that same denture placement decision that I did. I also notice older folks who have their own beautiful, natural teeth and find myself being somewhat jealous. I only wish that I had taken better care of the teeth I had. It’s certainly true in life sometimes you don’t realize how much something means until it’s no longer there. Such has been the case in this dental journey.