Together We Have Walked

Am I the only one shocked that it is July? What the heck happened to the end of June? In fairness, I have needed a lot of time to really recover from this past school year. Normally, by the end of June, I have already started on the summer projects. Not this year. I felt like I needed many days just sleeping and not doing much without staring at a long to do list. I think I’m slowly easing my way out of this recovery towards a more productive summer. I know what you might be thinking. Why does she need to be productive? Simple. During the school year, I put everything I need to do outside of work to the side. Now, it is time to get things done, which feels good.

During the last couple of weeks, I have had some scheduled conferences with Rhonda. Not only does this allow us to finalize plans for that weekend in Vegas (I hear a band is playing!) but to get us started on what has become a new project. Yes, I said new. Initially, we thought we would just write about something we had outlined previously. Well, we discovered that it didn’t thrill us. It didn’t excite us. So, we did what any insane people would do. We talked. We brainstormed. We listed ideas. We came up with something that we think will be great. Now, we have lots to do as we continue to formulate our new idea, which has led us to ask some questions on our social media. It also brought us back to thinking about Duran Duran. We are not just thinking of the band in the way that is common. It isn’t just about the music or videos or fans but placing the band in a larger context, in society, which I really love.

This has made me happy. First, I love thinking about Duran Duran again. They have become something that is just a part of my life, rather than something special. I personally needed to remember why I love them and this is helping me do that. Second, and more importantly, I have loved chatting about the band with Rhonda. We needed to do that. It brings our connection back to life and more. One thing that I have become certain is the importance of working with others. I couldn’t have run a successful campaign without a team, without people to brainstorm ideas with, to seek feedback, to question and to be questioned by and with. It helped me do my best work. The same is true with teaching. I am very fortunate that I get to work with people I like and work well with. Being in a team has helped all of us be better teachers. The very same thing is true with Rhonda. If we were to work on this project by ourselves, I’m certain that we would do an okay job but together, it has a much stronger possibility of being awesome.

Here’s the thing that we have always known. We bring different strengths and perspectives to this blog and to any project that we do. At the same time, we both love the band. Likewise, we both enjoy the heck of researching and writing. We share enough while at the same time balancing each other out, filling in any gaps, and pushing each other to do our best thinking and writing. I tend to think that we are not that different than any other successful team. Look at the band. They share a love of music and more. At the same time, they also are not completely alike. I suspect that they have pushed each other to create the best music possible or to put on the most amazing live performances that they can. Now, I know that they can all do fabulous work on their own or with other musicians as their solo and side projects show. That said, I think that most of us would agree that Duran projects are better than any of those. Why is that? I think it because of this balance as well as the pushing that happens within a good team. I, for one, am super thankful that they all found each other. Likewise, I feel extremely fortunate to be a member of teams in all facets of my life from politics to teaching and, most importantly for this blog, to fandom.

-A