I started National Blog Posting Month on a whim, and that's how I missed a day. It was a day where I actually had free time, but my free time was not in the morning or the evening, and so I didn't write a blog post. Oops! Now I can look forward to trying again next November and in the meantime hopefully continue with daily posting through the end of November. 29 out of 30 would be a pretty good result as well.
One of the awesome parts of blog posting month has been learning about new and interesting blogs from the others who are participating. Here is the full list of participants this year:
Beckett • http://birchwoodpie.blogspot.com
Elisabeth • http://www.elisabeth-frost.com
J • http://jellyjules.com
Jamie • http://mostgladly.com
Jenny • http://www.runnersfly.com
Meike • http://www.homehereandthere.wordpress.com
Melissa • http://www.thebrightonjotter.com
NGS • http://www.ngradstudent.blogspot.com
Rachel • http://www.rachelinwales.com
San (me!) • https://www.theinbetweenismine.com
Sarah • http://www.harrytimes.com
Stephany • http://www.stephanywrites.com
Suzanne • http://www.lifeofadoctorswife.wordpress.com
Tierney • http://www.portmanteausuitcase.com
Tobia • http://www.craftaliciousme.com
Zenaida • http://www.zenaida.net
The odd thing about not writing yesteday was that I probably had something to say. I could have posted about my quick dinner - Chicken Shwarma in the oven.
I could have written about my good news scheduling update, which is that my breakfast buddy called to say he was very busy and very sorry and could we pause our breakfast dates for 3 weeks until busy season was over for him. Yes! Sometimes, if schedules aren't working, it doesn't mean it's broken, it just means life is temporarily busy.
I could have written about toddler takeover at the local pump track, and how my two kids whipped balance bikes over a pump track for three hours. I have never done three hours at a pump track.
I could have written about going out for drinks on Saturday night, with a friend I so rarely see. I had to fight with my experiencing self to get out of the house... I wanted to experience an evening of pyjamas and TV, and I wanted to experience a 9pm bedtime. It was cold, and dark, and the pub was a 25 minute cycle away.
At the same time, I almost never get out with Andy, I almost never see this friend, and it wasn't raining. Andy guaranteed he would do kid wake up, and off to the pub we went. The remembering self - the self that recalls the activity - is very pleased that I go out. On Monday, when people ask what I did, I can say "I went to the pub on Saturday" rather than "on, not much". I will get enough sleep tonight to cover for my reduced sleep on Saturday. It's 8:20 right now, and soon I can get in my pyjamas, read, and go to sleep with a hot water bottle. The experiencing self and remembering self should both appreciate a quiet Sunday night.
Did you spend this weekend doing things you experienced with joy or remember with joy? Is there any difference for you?
I spend A LOT of time thinking about the experiencing self vs. the remembering self. I think this is such an important distinction, and helps me better gain perspective in tough moments - or it will spur me on to invest just a bit more energy to accomplish/do something that I know, in the end, will be a net-positive/joyful/necessary experience.
ReplyDeleteI'll take 29 posts over no posts! The perfect is truly the enemy of the good here.
ReplyDeleteRachel, I am so glad you joined us this year for NaBloPoMo and don't beat yourself up over a missed day. It happens to the best of us... and even 29 out of 30 days would be terrific. I am so glad you gave this a try and connected with so many of us :) As I said in my first NaBloPoMo post - no pressure, just fun and getting to know new people! That's what this is all about.
ReplyDeleteI am glad you went to the pub though. I should push myself out of my comfort zone again more often. I did do things I remember with joy though - I went for a run on a glorious fall day and got a holiday drink at Starbucks , hehe.
OK, am I the only person who has not heard of the experiencing and the remembering self? (I just googled it - as one does :> - and found out that it's a hypothesis proposed in Thinking Fast and Slow. Which suggests that perhaps I need to read that book. :) Anyway, I am glad you made the choice to experience... and that you got to see your friend.
ReplyDelete