To Blog or Not to Blog?

If you read this blog, you know that I started to write a book. It has nothing to do with education. It's an opportunity for me to reflect on my past and present, to honor the imperfection of my memories, and to make amends with myself and the people I love. At least this is the process I'm experiencing thus far. It's therapy, really, and when I emerge from a fruitful writing session I feel refreshed and grounded. I see my world differently.

I've come to realize that writing about work is not the great escape I hope to achieve from taking on a writing project. My life is terribly unbalanced, with the scale constantly tipped toward my career. In the meantime, my personal relationships, hobbies, and goals get left by the wayside. Then I start to resent my work, even though I really do love so many aspects of my job. So I need to change course.

I haven't written my blog or my book all winter term. This is definitely a direct result of being slammed with an overloaded work schedule. But there's more. Early this winter, a trusted confidant reminded me that most writers don't succeed. And because I was already on shaky ground as a writer, this comment stabbed like a sharp needle bursting the little bubble of hope that kept me writing. Blast.

Although this was never her intent (and I hope she never reads this), I completely stopped writing after she made this comment. But it gave me time to think, and I know that I don't want to write about work right now. It just doesn't help me achieve my goal of finding better balance in my life.

As the buds form on the trees and the spring flowers blossom, I vow to rekindle my love for the writing process- whether or not anyone ever reads my work. The goal of writing my book is deliciously personal and really doesn't have anything to do with being published anyway. So I'm considering writing a blog about writing my book. Or maybe I'll just focus my energy on the book for now.

That being said, good-bye for now. Perhaps I'll return another day!