Taking Its Toll

I spent the weekend navigating very gingerly around my study and the sofa. My body has suddenly decided to treat me to painful muscle spasms that flash across my upper back and make breathing a difficult task. Pain and stiffness radiate into my neck. One false move can misalign bone and nerve -- and I am instantly transformed into a grimacing, whimpering cartoon of pain. 

 A dull ache in my stomach has become a constant companion and my more frequent periods of sleeplessness measure my rising levels of stress. It seems that all I think about lately is the looming strike. My anxiety around that is affecting my health, without a doubt. I question whether I am letting my students down on some professional and, yes, on some personal ethical level by striking? But I also wonder if I am mentoring them in some fundamental way to stand up for what they believe is right and just. I must admit that I am completely and utterly flummoxed by the refusal of the administration to negotiate any major monetary issues until December the 3rd, just before the strike deadline. I mean, the strike vote was taken on October 25th and here we are at November 21! Almost a month has passed, the interests of approximately 17,000 students depends on the the outcome of negotiations and yet, the administration is relying on a single day of mediation to settle what could have been discussed, perhaps even settled in this intervening month. And no one from the administrative side has attempted to provide students with any concrete information about contingencies or protocol around grades and exams. My inner Lewis Carroll mutters, "Curiouser and curiouser!" as I struggle to adjust to this new Brock just on the other side of the Looking Glass. I gulp down another Motrin and navigate gingerly back to my study. Hope I can do my picket duty in a back brace ...