I spell "Absolut" with an "e," anyway: Escaping the School Leader's Dunk Tank

So, NCTE asks us on this National Day on Writing why we write #whyiwrite. I dunno. For lots of reasons. Not for money. Not for fame. Not for "glim and glam." I have none of those, anyway. It started out as healing for me and it continues as a healing for me, but in a different way now.

First off, what do the following objects have in common?

1. Turkey baster

2. Tooth brush

3. Bowl of cereal

The answer? Vodka.

I used to baste my turkey with vodka, rinse my mouth with vodka after brushing my teeth. Hell, my Cheerios even floated in vodka, not milk. I left a stressful job, a stressful pool of adversarial sharks, and I took my life back--by writing.

So, writing is my sobriety. "Ink" or "toner" is healthier for me than turpentine or battery acid. Poison. Corrosion of my liver, now healed. Plus, I spell "Absolut" with an "e," anyway. That's the former English teacher still within me.

So, I wrote a book. Then, another one. Then, another one. And, another one. With more on the way.

One particular book is entitled, Escaping the School Leader's Dunk Tank. I wrote it with Rebecca Coda and Dave Burgess Consulting, LLC will be publishing it in December. It is filled with stories from school leaders across the nation who have to work through adversarial conditions. One particular chapter (Chapter 6) discusses a topic that is taboo: alcohol and substance abuse which is on the rise for my colleagues. School and district leaders have an enormous job of balancing "you name it." Everything. It is a stressful job, but one of the most rewarding ones out there. When I was a superintendent of schools, the question I always asked myself was: "How will I survive in this pit of snakes?" My adversaries had agendas that were filled with revenge, personal interests, nepotism, all driven by their own fears of lots of stuff that they were going through. I felt like I had the weight of their worlds and venom on my shoulders. And, I crashed. Burned. Fallible, we all are. Empty bottles. Lots of empty liquor bottles. Now, it's rebuilding time. It's time to share our stories with you. It's time to push on the status quo that doesn't like to mention anything about the realities of politics in education and the adversarial conditions that truly exist for school leaders and other educators. It's why I write. We all have a story to share. Don't be ashamed of anything.

COMING IN DECEMBER . . . Escaping the School Leader's Dunk Tank: How to Prevail when Others Want You to Drown