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I started my blog November 3, 2009. On March 1, 2010 we graduated to a website. Today, Canada Day, the birth of the Nation, I will consider the urge to give up.
I’ve worked very hard to go from an occasional surfer and ardent googler (for back-up in my arguments and curiosities) to someone who understands a bit of the Web 2.0 malarky. It’s fascinating, uber-cool, has all kinds of rules that can be learned and applied, and opportunity to make a difference in the world.
Statistically, I am already an anomaly. According to Caslon Analytics http://www.caslon.com.au/weblogprofile1.htm estimates are 60 to 80% of blogs are abandoned in the first month. At some point, some statistics were compiled by some one person who tried to get a handle on how often blogs were updated. It seems that 66% of those surveyed had not been updated for 2 months or more. The average number of days a blog is active prior to abandonment? 126. I am in the 230 day range. And hurting.
The goals for the blog and website were clear and quick in the early days. First, blog for 100 days. Check.
Next, I wanted to get a “real” website set up. Wow, was that painful at times, but Check.
Soon, the fun of putting ads on the website was underway. We all know how that recently ended (click here to read about my sociopathetic self.)
It seems the next step is to implement a video series that is kicking around in my mind. It melds what I’m good at with what I would be willing to do from now until I die, with what could potentially be useful to young people (and their parents and teachers.)
When it comes down to it, the reason I keep telling you what I know about kids, is because I care about kids. If you are unhappy, well, you can be unhappy and mostly it isn’t my concern. If you are unhappy, it is quickly the concern of your kids who will become teenagers and their bad attitude born of parental unhappiness will be my concern – either literally when they show up at my school, or figuratively in terms of my care for the world and its youth. This new idea would allow you to “eavesdrop” on my conversations and role plays with teenagers as we explore different ways of responding to their unreasonableness. On camera. From the point of view of the teens, in the hopes that you all will cease to meet unreasonableness with unreasonableness.
So, why the desire to give up? Because I have a full-time job, a love of gardening, and a stack of novels beside my bed. Writing and updating this website takes hours, and I sometimes work on my novel, too. To put together such an ambitious project needs my full commitment because the time will be coming from somewhere. Thing is, I know myself well enough – and maybe it is the same for you, too? – just before I realize I am committed I try to quit.
My favourite part of the brain
The Amygdala. I love my amygdala. Years ago, when I learned it existed, I thanked it for keeping me alive. Not like the parts that remind me to breathe, nope, the amygdala is the survival centre. Flight, fight, or flock.
The amygdala is a scaredy cat. On Red Alert all the [...]
Yikes! So many emotions get stirred. “Better is not good enough.”
Says who? … Isn’t that a little harsh? … Buddy, if you’re going to wear a t-shirt like that you should lose 20 pounds! … But my website….
10 p.m. at the Grocery Store
Last Sunday night, I found myself grocery shopping at close to 10:00 p.m. [...]
It’s probably good to know just what it is that truly screws up a kid for life. If we can’t avoid it, maybe we can minimize the counselling bills a little?
Check this out:
http://www.cracked.com/article/195_7-things-good-parents-do-that-screw-kids-up-life_p1
The scientific highlights:
No creative names.
Do not teach them to be themselves.
Don’t make ‘em play sports.
Starting school early is dangerous.
It is interesting that in [...]
Doug Noon, on the blog “Borderland” speaks of his writing as being“trapped by compulsive reasonableness” – and I know what he means.
Sometimes, when the madness takes me and I would like to tell you, again, about the dead bodies in the pond in my backyard I think, “That’s not reasonable.” It may not even be [...]
Is it turning 50? Perhaps, watching others get even older in response to my aging has me realizing that at some point I will need to wrestle with the question of death in a personal way. Not personal, as in my friend, mother-in-law, or beloved grandmother is dying – been there, done that and there [...]
I started a comment on the Canfield of Dreams website: Upfront disclaimer, being smart about certain things does not make my opinionatedness any righter than the usual ….
I’ve talked about the Canfield family already. They are seriously thinking about being a modern nomadic family. Not a new thing to do, but a seriously daunting thing [...]
Book Club is always illuminating. To say the least. Intellectual. Base, occasionally crass … okay, I am occasionally crass and they put up with me.
One of the women starts to talk about her cousin – Antonio. I break in, like I have ADHD, “Your cousin is Antonio Banderas? I LOVE Antonio Banderas! He’s 4 months [...]
Had a free consultation with Sam from Eben Pagan’s stable. Eben Pagan, if that is his name, is an internet marketing guru and originator of “Double Your Dating” website and program – although under a different name. He has a version for women under yet another name. Hence the suspicion that a name like Eben [...]
I was off to organize. Meaning I was going to get some things ready for leaving on our trip in just over 3 weeks. There are quite of few things on the list that are looking disorderly. Which suitcases to take, does my favourite travel mug make it through security, what is considered appropriate laptop [...]
I’m stealing this title from something that Harv Eker offered on his blog a few weeks ago. It makes sense.
There are an infinite number of opportunities and each time you stop to smell the opportunity, another bus destined for the place you planned to go whizzes by. Sure, it might be the opportunity that melds [...]
Okay, 2 posts ago (Travel, Millions, Mind) I confessed to being organized. Um, maybe uh, enthusiastically organized. I research purchases, I study maps, I check in with my personal taste and preferences, and consult my sweetie pie (or the stars, or the dog if no one else is offering an opinion.)
We are off to NYC [...]
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