30 Days of Blogging, Day 6: Someone From the Past that You'd Like to Get in Touch With

This is a pretty hard one, actually.  There are many people I've lost touch with over the years; some of them have tracked me down on Facebook, and one of them wrote me an actual letter after reading my novel.  I'm always glad to hear from people I used to know, but I'm taking this topic to mean "someone you might actually consider reaching out to yourself."  That's a much more difficult question.  (See my Day 2 post if you need an explanation as to why this might be.)

Probably, though, the answer would be my friend Susan from high school.  We became very good friends very quickly at the beginning of our senior year; I was never a person with a big friend network, and Susan was really the first "best friend" I'd ever had.  After high school, we went to the same college but joined different sororities--so of course we made different friends and didn't see each other as much.  We also developed different priorities, and after awhile we just didn't understand each other very well.  I moved off campus and became a vegetarian.  She got more and more enmeshed in sorority life.  It got to be difficult to spend much time together at all.

I don't know if Susan and I would have much in common these days, but I'd be interested in finding out.

30 Days of Blogging, Day 5: The Best Thing in Your Life Right Now

Easy question today.  My little family has always been the best thing in my life. 

At first, it was just me and The Hubs.  For six years we just had fun together, going to movies and trying out restaurants and taking road trips whenever we wanted to hit the road.  The early part of our marriage was one giant adventure. 

Then our daughter was born--she hated riding in the car until she was old enough to sit in a forward-facing car seat, but after that she was a terrific traveler.  She spent most of her time around adults because we took her with us wherever we went.  By the time she was two, I was telling people that having a toddler was just like having a little roommate.  That's the kind of kid she was.

Our son was a surprise addition to the family, a wonderful surprise.  He was the easiest baby ever born--all he did was eat and sleep and smile and snuggle up with me.  When he got a little older, giving him a hug and kiss at bedtime was the best part of my day.  He was the very best hugger. 

I always knew I wanted to be a mom, but I didn't know how much I'd enjoy being part of my family.  There's really nothing I'd rather do than hang out with these people, and knowing I get to come home to them makes even the hardest days easier to get through.
  

30 Days of Blogging, Day 4: A List of 20 Favorite Things

In no particular order:
 
1.  Coffee
2.  Making bread
3.  October
4.  Red wine--in particular, Middle Sister Rebel Red
5.  Tulips 
6.  Polish on my toenails, never on my fingernails
7.  My Microplane lemon zester
8.  Planet Hollywood's white chocolate bread pudding
9.  A chai latte on a rainy day
10. Taking a run when it's chilly but sunny outside
11. Yoga pants
12. Softlips Vanilla 
13. The smell of pine trees (Not fake pine scent.  Ick.)
14. Cadbury Mini Eggs (Not the creme eggs.  Ick.)
15. Long walks in quiet places
16. NPR
17. Lemons, lemons, lemons
18. Salmon
19. Barbecue
20. Staying home on a rainy day

30 Days of Blogging, Day 3: You Favorite Quote

"Only the hand that erases can write the true thing."  ~ Meister Eckhart

I love this quote for many reasons.  First, it's about writing--or, specifically, it's about revision.  This is a quote that debunks the importance of the first draft.  Lots of young writers want to believe that their first draft is the "truest" draft, the closest thing to what was really on their minds when they were writing.  I know this because I used to be one of those writers.  Over time, though, you learn that revision is where you figure out what you actually meant.  As I tell my students, "You have to make the clay before you can do anything with it."

I also love this quote because it's about learning to live with integrity.  You can't understand the story of your life unless you're willing to re-write some chapters when new information arises and new wisdom surfaces with age and experience.  You can't believe the same things throughout your entire lifetime if you're learning and growing.  "I was raised to believe . . . " is one of my least favorite phrases.  I was raised to believe many things that I don't believe anymore, and I don't believe those things because my experience of life has proven them to be untrue.  If you're going to live with integrity, you have to be open to doubting the people you love and erasing pieces of their influence.  That's never an easy thing to do, but it's a necessary part of living in the truth.                       

30 Days of Blogging, Day 2: Something you dislike about yourself

I don't like the fact that I'm so shy.  I'm not even sure if that's the right word for it at my age--I'm not comfortable talking to people I don't know well.  Is that shyness?  I can do it, thanks to my sorority training, but I really don't enjoy it.  Maybe that's just the sign of an introverted nature--I'm energized by time spent alone, not time spent with others.  I'm perfectly happy hanging out by myself, and I'm happiest when I'm at home with my family.

Whenever I'm asked to attend some social event, my immediate response is to say "Oh, sorry, I can't."  Even when that occasion involves people I know well, that's my first reaction--I have to make myself pause for a moment and actually consider the possibility.  This has a tendency to make people think I'm standoffish and conceited, but I don't think I'm either of those things.  Just borderline agoraphobic.  

30 Days of Blogging, Day 1: Something You Like About Yourself

I'm glad this project begins on a positive note--with a metaphorical pat on the back, so to speak. 

I have a hard time thinking of things I like about myself because, as the child of Midwestern parents, I was raised to be unfailingly humble and self-deprecating.  My usual response to a compliment is, "You're so kind.  Thanks.  But I wish . . ."  And from there I go on to explain what was wrong with whatever had been complimented.   Secretly, though?  (Not so secretly now, I realize.)  I like that I'm able to reach people with the things I write.  Whenever I publish an article in The Chronicle, I love getting email from other professors who tell me I've expressed something they too have been feeling.  After my novel was published, getting email from readers who were moved by that story meant a lot to me.  When my colleagues read my work and tell me they enjoyed it, I feel like our personal relationship changes--like we know something new about each other.

Putting your writing out into the world is a scary thing, but getting positive feedback makes it worth the risk.

30 Days of Blogging

As some of you know, I've been busily posting on my other blog and, in the process, ignoring this one entirely.  I've been feeling regretful about that lately  because I started this blog with good intentions: to give myself regular writing practice, and to make myself think about something beyond the daily details of my life.  These are still things that matter to me, though I haven't been making them a priority.

So.  With that in mind, I'm going to embark on a project:  30 Days of Blogging.  I saw that my niece was doing this on her blog, and when I did a quick Google search I found many different lists of daily blog topics for a 30-Day challenge.  I've picked the topics that seem most relevant to me and I'll be responding to one a day for the next month.  I'm going to try to keep my responses brief, so the project will stay manageable.

Does it bother me that I'm beginning a month-long project 5 days into the current month?  Yes, it does.  Very much.  (More on this when we get to Day 17 of the challenge.)  But I don't want to wait until October to get this started.  I hope you'll check in daily and read my responses to each of these prompts.  Better yet, why not blog along with me?  30 days of writing practice never hurt anyone.


Day 01 → Something you like about yourself.
Day 02 → Something you dislike about yourself.
Day 03 → Your favorite quote and why it's your favorite.
Day 04 → A list of 20 favorite things.
Day 05 → What’s the best thing in your life right now?
Day 06 → Someone from the past you'd like to get in touch with.
Day 07 → Someone from the past who disappointed you.
Day 08 → The reasons why you love your significant other or best friend.
Day 09 → A piece of art or sculpture that you really like.
Day 10 → A photo that makes you happy.
Day 11 → A photo that makes you sad.
Day 12 → An old photo of you (taken at least 10 years ago) and a story to go with it.
Day 13 → Your favorite song, band or artist.
Day 14 → Your favorite TV show, past or present.
Day 15 → Something you couldn’t live without, because you’ve tried living without it.
Day 16 → Something you definitely can live without.
Day 17 → Something you're a little neurotic/irrational/OCD about.
Day 18 → Your views on a current controversial topic.
Day 19 → Your faith, or your political views in general.
Day 20 → A book that really meant something to you.
Day 21 → A story about your best friend, past or present.
Day 22 → Something you wish you hadn’t done.
Day 23 → Something you wish you had done.
Day 24 → Make a playlist for someone, and explain why you chose all the songs.
Day 25 → A song that makes you think of someone besides your significant other.
Day 26 → Describe your dream house.  Post pictures, if you want.
Day 27 → Something you have to forgive yourself for.
Day 28 → Something you have to forgive someone else for.
Day 29 → Something you still hope to accomplish in your lifetime.
Day 30 → Write a letter to yourself at 20. Offer some advice based on what you've learned in life.