Thursday, December 10, 2009

Reasons (excuses) for not blogging more . . .

You've probably noticed that my blogging entries have been few and far between this fall. I just figured out another reason (excuse) -- I've been taking on-line classes since the end of September. And by the time I've finished listening to the lecture, doing the assignment, and posting on the discussion board, I want to be off the internet. (Today I'm posting in the morning BEFORE doing any on-line classwork.)

Here are some other reasons:

My on-line time must occur during the hours when my kids are at school. 'Cause once they get home, they want the computer for school work and internet trawling. (When I've got something critical, I do stand up for my computer usage rights and tell the kids they can wait.)

On days that I substitue teacher, there's no time for blogging.

Now that I'm focusing on teaching and getting out to work, I don't feel the need to blog.

I'm learning new skills like crochet and hat-loom knitting. (I want to learn "real" knitting too.) They sometimes take the place of blogging.

I'm facing reality. I started blogging as a means to write. And although I still love to write, I'm realizing that if I'd have really wanted to write a book, I would have done it by now. I like writing. But more than that, I like ideas. I like coming up with titles, but writing the rest of the book . . . that eludes me.

Plus, writing is a solitary pursuit. And I need to be around people. Getting out and working, seeing people, interating in person instead of over the internet has done wonders for my mental health. I may not have had SAD each fall, so much as I had MSP (missed seeing people) when all my kids went back to school, and I stayed home. Alone.

I guess it all comes down to changing my focus. My goal is to get my teaching certificate current and then apply for 7th grade jobs in my school district. I hope to have a full-time position by the start of school next year. In a way, my sporadic posting is a sign of things to come. Maybe even the beginning of the weaning process away from blogging.

But don't hold me to that. A woman can always change her mind.