I did it again. I assigned my class to create a blog or tap into their spouses’ blogs. Why would I do this? These for the most part are business students. And debit, they have accounting to figure out, information systems to systemize. Not to mention my class where they will remember the difference between clauses dependent and independent, and that the purpose of a resume is to get an interview, not necessarily a job. The job follows a good interview.
But blogging, I say, will help them be good writers? Really? Yes, I still believe it. Blogging is writing and a “Writer writes, always” (Billy Crystal from the film, Throw Mama From The Train.) Blogging can be little warm up exercises to write other stuff, or blogging can be a rant about something or a personal essay about something you care about.
Yes, and I need the nudge too. It is hard to tell my students to Blog when my own attempt at blogging here is a mish mash of mush mush. So I don’t pretend to be modeling good blogging (whatever that is) although perhaps I am modeling the exercise of figuring out what and how to write even as they are.
And just as it is for my students, it is the exercise I need to write other stuff.
What to write about? they ask. Just look around and react. Facebook, Twitter blogging and the rest amuse me right now because we are all trying to figure it out.
I jumped on Twitter just to see what all the excitement is about. It is the same reason I read Twilight. There was something big going on there and I wanted to see what it was. I read the rest of the series because I thought it was a cool story.
Twitter is a micro blog. It’s quick, it’s quirky and there are no quizzes to take.
What I like about Facebook, Twitter and blogging is when people share what they are thinking not just doing. It is the same reason I like personal essays or creative non-fiction.
I’ll jump over to Facebook right now and catch the latest “news”. Looks like someone has taken the test of “What Disney Movie Song Are You?” someone else is going to Oregon, while someone else is chewing on a quote about the Second Coming.
Of those reports, the most intriguing for me is the quote someone is chewing on. Blogs, Tweets, and Facebook entries where you learn that someone is brushing their teeth, or walking to work, or wondering why it is snowing (but not as much expressing thanks for the sunshine) or eating Mac and Cheese is just not that interesting. At least for me.
So write on we will. I hope our blogs become that chat around a good meal or fire pit where we share what is on our minds. Rant if you must, joke if you will, chew on hard topics, wrestle with a challenging idea, quote from your last favorite read, or just write about not being in the mood for any of that.
Or if you must, write about what you are doing.
Like right now, I’m eating a large bowl of Post Honey Bunches of Oats cereal. But not the regular kind—this one is “with real peaches”. It’s going to be a good day.
