I read an interview with Scott Adams (creator of Dilbert) in the Costco Magazine a while back. The point that stuck with me was that Mr. Adams says he struggles to remember what topics he's already covered in his strip.
Now, he's been doing Dilbert for 20 years. But as I come up on another year of blogging, I can relate to his struggle ...and I haven't been doing this nearly as long. I'm struck again and again with the thought, "Have I blogged about this already?"
Repetition is fine, sure. But I don't want to bore anyone by repeating myself. If I'm going to say the same thing again and again, it needs to be with purpose, reason and intentionality. I mean, it's okay to repeat an idea... but not if it drives readers away. Yet, I realize that people stumble across this blog from time to time, and I don't want them to miss anything, which is one reason why I repeat myself. But that means I'm being repetitive. And repetition is fine, sure. But I don't want to bore anyone...
<cough>
You get the picture.
Of course, you're not sitting in a cube like me or Dilbert. You're spending your days homeschooling. You're reading incredible books. You're doing fun science experiments. You're relearning math. You're experiencing the joy of life-long learning. So everything is new every day, yes?
No?
Even with all the wonderful books you're reading with your students, life can become a grind. Even homeschooling can feel repetitive. Holiday breaks can be great, but they can also emphasize your routine as well. And that can be disheartening.
So mix it up a bit.
The girls loved listening to "grandpa" and "grandma" read to them while we visited over Christmas. And they're not the only ones. Even college graduates still find joy in Sonlight's Read-Alouds.
If you're looking for something new and different in the coming year--or just feeling "the grind"--then perhaps ask someone else to do a little reading.
It may just make your day and bring a fresh perspective to your homeschooling journey.
~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Surrogate Father
Lynn, I don't mind sitting in my cube most days. In fact, if I were home, I'd spend much of my time sitting in my computer room <smile>. But I'm not going to complain about people being nice to me. Of course, for all our differences, I don't feel you've been mean. So... yeah <smile>. Here's to an even more pleasant 2010!
Tammy, that is an excellent point <laughing>. I've read many blogs where they repost things now and again... and even then I don't realize it's a repost until the end when they tell me <smile>.
John, that is smart! And now that you've given me another blog for my RSS feed, I'm adding it... even if it is almost completely abandoned <smile>. Thanks!
Mrs. C, I use the blog search tool as well. Yesterday I discovered that I had already blogged about "back to the salt mines"... which is what prompted the title. But "nail clippers for weasels," eh? ...I may have to cover that topic myself <smile>.
~Luke
Here's how I know... I do a "search blog" on a topic. So, if I wanted to write about nail clippers for weasles, I'd search "weasles" and see what comes up on blogger.
I don't think that's a topic I've covered yet...
in our 9th year of homeschooling with sonlight, and my wife has discovered many of those great books are available on audio from interlibrary loan. so while errands are being run and trips being taken, school still occurs. and on these "vacation" weeks she takes out books not assigned for all of us to enjoy on the road. she's a smart mom.
that's the name of her nearly abandoned blog as well, http://smartmomblog.blogspot.com/
God is good
jpu
Funny, I was recently thinking about the same thing as I sat down to write one day....hmmmmm, have I written about this before OR is it something I've read somewhere else that I'd be repeating? And since I couldn't remember at the time, I didn't write about it. But after thinking about it later on I figured that most people wouldn't recognize a repeat on my blog anyways so I was probably making more out of it than necessary. Clear as mud? LOL!
So write whatever you want to write about whenever knowing that there's at least one person out there - me - who probably wouldn't remember if I had read that here before or read it somewhere else.....
hee hee...
Blessings,
Tammy ~@~
New Year's Resolution: Be nicer to Luke in 2010. He spends his days sitting in a cube. :(