Be Careful What You Wish For
Image by Getty Images via @daylife"We'll help you maximize your blog's reach."
"We want to exchange links with you."
"Here's an announcement you'll want to cover on your blog."
"We've got a new infographic we'd like you to share on your blog."
"I'd like to write a guest post on your blog."
"I emailed you last week. When are you going to write about my..."
Over 5,000 messages and counting have accumulated since I last hit inbox zero the first week of October.
Meeting Chris Daughtry: Be Careful What you Wish For
As I was coming back from South Africa ready to board the plane from Johannesburg to Atlanta, GA I went wide eyed with surprise. Chris Daughtry, the last person my husband and I had voted for on American Idol (Kip stopped watching after Chris got voted off as he said America didn't know talent - what can I say - Kip has the remote most nights.)
Well, Chris Daughtry and his band were getting ready to get on the plane. I couldn't help it - my daughter loves him (OK, my daughter's Mom does too) and I asked him for an autograph and photo. I got the autograph of my boarding pass, but he said,
"Mam, I don't really do photos in airports, for obvious reasons."
I saw in his eyes kindness, but perhaps a hint of tiredness and perhaps just wanting to be alone for a while - it must get overwhelming! His band sort of closed in a nice little hedge around their leader eyeballing me to see if I'd be a stalker. I'm not and just went back to hanging out and trying to stay awake.
So, I obliged. But then, I got on the plane and settled down for my routine - which is I listen to, of all people's Daughtry's song "Home" and some lines struck me.
"Be careful what you wish for because
you might just get it all
you might just get it all
and then some you don't want."
Well, Chris, here's to you, buddy. You're right. Perhaps you don't want 40 something year old teachers trying to get your photos in airports.
But , neither do I want 5,000 email messages awaiting me when I come home either!
Be Careful What You Wish For
I'm so glad and overjoyed to have a blog that people read. I hope that they have stayed subscribed even with this week of hiatus I gave myself.
I had to take a break from blogging for my own sanity. For myself.
It is so easy to forget who I really am and what I'm doing here.
I was soooo excited to go to South Africa and still have quite a few videos that I plan to share with you, but right now I have a book deadline on December 1st!
Additionally, I had a leading blogger make some hurtful comments about me going to South Africa on another edublogger's blog (sort of behind my back if you ask me) and really, it bothered me. It took my giddy excitement and perhaps naivety on being allowed to be part of the "press" of the Microsoft Innovative Educators Conference and just popped that good old balloon!
Who do I think I am anyway?
Well, I am someone different from who I was in December 2005 when I started blogging. Blogging definitely changes you - it just does - no matter what the outcome or where you go with it it does change you.
I hired someone to help me with my email back in August and the person quit after three days "because you get too much email and it stresses me out." Well, goodness knows - it stresses me out too - that is why I was trying to get a virtual assistant! But, then again, sorting through my email is not really anyone's cup of tea. It is barely mine...
Be careful what you wish for.
So, this is just sort of a reflection of sorts. Maybe just blogging about whatever I want to blog about is just me saying -- "Hey there world, this is still my blog."
Maybe it is just saying "OK folks, lots of great stuff out there but I'm not going to let the guilt of not having read your email yet or review your book or responding to your question make me feel so guilty that I continue to hide by not blogging."
Some of you who read my blog have emailed me -- don't let this discourage you - I do always want to hear from REAL people - real people doing really cool things out there. If you're a classroom teacher, principal or work in a school of any kind or a college professor or preservice teacher - always know that I welcome you to contact me.
