Life in a Box (or 2)

There it is.  Six and a half years of work documented in two boxes.  I've been wondering whether a better representation of what I have done since I began my life on the tenure track might be the virtual box that holds my sent mail.  According to my Gmail account, I've had over 10,000 conversations in the last 6.5 years.  Of course, these messages don't include the IM, wiki, blog, text, Google, Twitter, Dropbox, and Facebook exchanges I've had with students and colleagues.  If I printed all of that documentation, how many boxes would I need to lug into the city next week when my tenure package is due?

My life in 2 boxes.  It's a little anticlimactic, probably because it's just one of several deadlines I have next week - and, of course, it's only a portion of my life.  I'm not sure I could document my roles as mom, wife, friend, daughter, or sister as neatly as I have my role as teacher educator.  Then again, I'm not sure these two boxes actually capture what I do or who I am in the world of education.

But they are done, and I will wait to see their evaluation, not idly, as I have many projects on my desk.  This work excites me, and it drives me, and it will continue to make me question the balance in my life.  These boxes, however, represent one big hurdle, a goal hopefully achieved.  And it feels good to close the lids and submit them.