hibernating

I've been seriously hibernating the last few weeks. I've been marginally in contact with some people, but I haven't talked on the phone much at all and my email inbox is full of emails awaiting response. I just haven't wanted deal with others outside of those I have to already in my daily life. I think it is in large part a response to getting my thesis to my committee (now that is done and I can take time off). But my apartment has piles on the piles and I blithely step over and around the ones on the floor to get to the kitchen, the couch and the bed. But, this morning, I woke up, decided I was tired of it and wanted to deal with it all...so I got a start on it this morning and am looking forward to when I can get home again to complete the job. 

I'm prone to slothfulness...Kathleen Norris' book on acedia speaks to this. In fact I identified strongly enough that I stopped reading a short way into the book when I started it a few months ago. Since then it has been in the pile of books by my bed, and perhaps there will be a time when I pick it up again. What I do remember reading, though, is that the monks' way to combat acedia is action, movement, simply doing something can help combat the strong desire to do nothing. So I hope that my renewed energy around picking up and communicating with people again means that I am coming "out" of it - at least for now. 

I go out of town next week for a few days (for "Baby Pastor Camp" aka First Call Theological Education) and then on Friday the 13th I meet with my committee for my thesis defense (which my adviser keeps referring to as an exam which feels less combative) so hopefully I'm in the mood for people again or I'll be pretty miserable!