What happened to the lovely Korin (sorry, this is now friends only!) was what prompted me to stop writing about work. I've been thinking about it for a long time, but the reality of reading her experience really knocked some sense into me.
The thing that is so hard for me is that this blog STARTED as a way to tell about all the hilarious things my students said and did. I wasn't even officially infertile a year ago. There are so many stories to tell, and I haven't told half of them BECAUSE of confidentiality issues. It makes me a little sad, but over the year this seems to have evolved into more of a personal blog. I hope I can be interesting enough on my own to hold a few people's attention! I could say 'I just do this only for myself', but who am I kidding? I have plenty of spiral notebooks at my disposal. This is public. I want to be heard by people. Certain people. I even have little fantasies of being found by CERTAIN real life people. Mostly good friends I would tell it all to anyway. A few people from my past. Generally, it is a very short list. There is no one I wouldn't want to know my personal thoughts. I am not afraid of anyone knowing my feelings. But, I am afraid of hurting other people or being accused of acting unprofessionally.
When I was younger and living the Bridget Jones lifestyle, whenever there was some tragically comic moment of chaos or struggle in my family (and believe me, there were PLENTY back then...if only I wasn't such a late-comer to blogging...) the big joke between my mom and me was "this will be a chapter in the book." It was a way for us to laugh NOW at something that otherwise we'd only be able to look back later and laugh about. Things like the car breaking down in the middle of the desert in heat you could bake cookies in and my dad insisting on fixing it himself while we wait. Or the time nine of us stayed in a tiny condo together for my brother's wedding, bickering about every decision along the way. We only had to say "this will be a chapter in the book" and we were able to take a new perspective. There was only one stipulation: My mom made me promise that I write this "book" long after she was dead. I'm starting to realize writing about work is kind of the same. As much as I want to tell you all about all the hilarious and tragic things that happen on my job, I think I will just have to save them for "the book" I write when I retire.
Well Joie, I think you should make a separate, friends only blog about school because those stories are so damned funny and you DO need the outlet. I have always admired your journaling - something I was never good at.
Posted by: Eileen | January 16, 2006 at 06:55 PM
Thanks, Eileen. Maybe I will. Well, I'm no good at math. So, we're even!
Posted by: Joie | January 16, 2006 at 07:01 PM
Hmmm you could use the LJ space for that :D
Posted by: korin | January 16, 2006 at 09:10 PM
I would also love to continue to read the stories from school but will also be content to read your own story as it unfolds.
Posted by: cat | January 17, 2006 at 10:00 AM