I have no idea if this will be read by anybody, but the advice was: start a blog now, at the beginning of this time, so you will not fritter away your time spinning your wheels. Or something like that.
I started this blog years ago, when my younger son was first starting community college, and where I was adjunct faculty. A lot has changed since then. At the time, I thought he was my daughter, and it's rather painful to read the pronouns now, especially since I now know that he was aware of his status and still in the closet to me. I wish he had felt he could come out to me sooner. But I'm glad I wrote what I did at all! Yes, blogging is a good thing to do. Thanks, past self!
It's also...painful...reading anything I wrote before my firstborn son died later that year. Obviously, I stopped blogging--and pretty much everything else except letting people help me--in an effort to stay alive myself. I had never understood the urge to die before that. Not fully anyway. Now I do. I'm a different person than I was 6 years ago, so take that into consideration.
And here we are at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. Not really the beginning, but far enough into it to know that our government is abandoning us once again. People are scared. I have looked Death more squarely in the face than most, and it does give me a different perspective. I both fear it less and take it much more seriously. I respect it and acknowledge it. My advice is to look at it soberly and listen to what it has to say to you. 'Nuff said for now.
And I have some educational and technical knowledge and skill to share, and some things to work out in my mind as I go, so I'm starting up the blog again, and maybe I can help some folks just trying to figure out working online.
Firstly, I'm dressed! This is a thing to do when working from home. However, Comfy Weekend Bra is in use. I'm not crazy.
Second, I'm sitting at the kitchen table, not in my office. Since I have an office at work, my home office has been horribly neglected since I moved into that room from the living room. I will have time later to remedy this, but I am not letting the perfect be the enemy of the good. The kitchen table is clear and ready for me to work.
Third, it's Saturday. I should not be working, but these are difficult times. Later, I will more carefully delineate work time and off-contract time. Presumably, this will involve getting the damn office cleaned.
OK, it's time to do all the grading I ignored last week, connect with my students to reassure them, and prepare that 2nd-8-week class for publication. Oh, and completely rewrite that assignment that was dependent on in-person interactions. Sigh. Really grateful that I am just redesigning one assignment and not all of them! My deepest heartfelt love for all of those who are doing this from scratch. Be vulnerable, get support, make mistakes. You can do this!
xoxoxo
Liz
