Have to laugh at myself here.

I should be working on the teacher guide for King for a Day, but instead, I’m writing about how I’m procrastinating on it.

Got me to thinking of that hadith that I love so much. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Make use of five things before five things overtake  you: Your youth before you become old, your leisure before you become busy, your health before you become sick, your wealth before you become poor and your life before you die.” (I’m paraphrasing.)

Whenever I procrastinate I think of this hadith.

And yet, I’m still feeling so tired.

After Eid I had an incredible let down of energy.

Just wanted to stay in bed and sleep and sleep and sleep.

Part of it was because I couldn’t face all the news in Gaza. There’s nothing like seeing the torn up bodies of little children and babies being bombed to make you want to hide your head and cry.

Tears come to my eyes just thinking of it.

And I can’t seem to get out of my head this article I read by this journalist at the Guardian or something, who said to stop with the graphic pictures of dead children already, that we didn’t need to see them, and yet, I heartily disagree.

I think we DO need to see them!

Otherwise it’s human nature to just continue on with our lives like everything is hunky dory.

I feel like we’re in some kind of dystopian fantasy, only it’s reality, and we live in a land of privilege and the have nots are knocking at the door!

And I kind of feel that sort of helpless sadness I felt when my sister died.

Like I’m just too emotional to write anything!

I have time!

I have leisure right now. Well sort of, in that I’m not as busy as I usually am, despite this teacher guide I have to get finished.

So why can’t I get more writing done???

*sigh*

And to top it all off, I’ve been sharing a lot of the information I’ve been gleaning on Gaza, on Facebook, and it’s made me wonder if I’m not making enemies, and then I’m thinking, but wait a minute! Who the heck am I kidding?

Wouldn’t it be disingenuous NOT to share that information? Not to at least speak out about it when it bothers me so much?

And yet it makes good business sense not to express outrage.

But I’m beyond all that. I’ve already expressed it, and I figure let the chips fall where they will. I think a lot of people feel the same way about Gaza.

They’re just smarter and better at keeping their mouths shut.

And I do need to remember the bigger picture, the role that I’m trying to play in this world.

First and foremost I’m trying to write really good stories! The kind I’d have curled up with and loved as a kid.

But more, I’m trying to DO something with my stories.

Remember that for countries to participate in the wholesale slaughter of other people, they have to engage in a propaganda war to dehumanize them. To consider them ‘other’.

We don’t slaughter people we ‘like’ and ‘understand’. We talk to them and we negotiate.

I’ve always stated my aim from the start. It’s to tell stories that build bridges of understanding between cultures.

Basically to humanize Muslims in the hopes that it will be harder for entities to slaughter us.

But really it just comes down to wanting to tell some really good stories.

But anyways, getting back to the teacher guide… I will finish it today insha Allah.

I’ve been invited to a big event at the University of Wisconsin-Madison on August 16th called Muslim Journeys and the Co-operative Children’s Book Centre has a listserve of about 2000 librarians and educators who will be discussing my book King for a Day, so I’m getting the teacher guide ready for that too.

Recently read an article in the UK’s Guardian that said that most writers have had their incomes slashed and are struggling. Then saw a piece saying it was just as bad in North America.

And I realized how really fortunate I am that I’m not in that situation. I have so much work that I’m feeling bogged down by it!

For the last several days I’ve been having a hard time remembering what season we’re in!

Usually summer is a lull for me, but this year that hasn’t been the case at all! What with Muslimfest (which was HUGE by the way) and this Wisconsin trip and another Muslim festival the week after…it’s been a VERY busy summer!

Well you know what they say? You either have money or you have time.

Let’s just say that right now, alhamdu lillah, there’s little time!

Now, really, to get back to that teacher guide!