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Saturday, April 11, 2026

elevensies

Craving
Coffee walk
I'm surely addicted
12oz drip, oat milk
Happy

I recently read about a journaling technique. "Eleven" refers to journaling thoughts in the pattern:

  • 1 word
  • 2 words
  • 3 words
  • 4 words
  • 1 word

So I gave it a whirl and came up with today's opening lines just prior to this morning's coffee walk. Afterward,

[student's name]
New hair
It suits her
Change would be good
Go

That one came about because we went for our coffee walk and ended up at a coffee shop inside a local bookstore. I went to the counter to order and was met by one of my college tutees, who was barista-ing. I didn't know she worked there.

"Oh, hi" I greeted, "I know you"

"Yeah, hi", her response

"Ooh, I like your hair, looks great", I genuinely shared.

"Thanks" <smile>

Her hair did look good. It's sort of a shag style, now died black with a shock of red on the lower half of one side. It's not something I would do or look good with, but it suited her. She'd recently decided to change her major from a STEM subject to creative writing. She'd never confessed fully to me, but I'm guessing she really wants to be a writer, but figured she should study something more "practical" in college, so went the STEM route.

Then she likely decided, "screw that", gonna follow her dreams instead. I think that decision likely lifted a weight off her shoulders. She did seem more at ease today as bookstore barista with cool new hair than as the last time I'd seen her - struggling math student.

Maybe she'll become a successful author, and I can say I knew her when...

On that note, we're already down to the last few weeks of the semester. I'm looking forward to the summer break, but a few students have already asked me about summer tuting. So it likely won't be a full-on snoozer, which is a good thing.

Balance
All play
And no work
Invites in the dementia
Maybe?


7 comments:

  1. Play
    Play play
    Play play play
    Play Play play play
    Play
    retirement is inviting dementia, bring it!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Journaling
    Eleven words
    Very cool idea
    Almost said Elven words
    Dementia?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Herb
      Nicely done
      Trying to think
      Of just five more
      Words

      Delete
  3. Interesting way of writing. I'll give it a try
    Sunny
    Gentle breeze
    Nice and warm
    Nicest day so far
    Ahhhhhh

    I know that last one isn't a word though!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Good for her. I like the 'eleven' idea.

    ReplyDelete