Well, we did, didn’t we!?! 31 days of writing. 31 days of noticing the little things. 31 days of noticing emotions. 31 days of being in the moment.

#31daysofcomplainingfrommystudents

As I looked back at the past three years of “Day 31” posts, I’ve been a bit ornery. Curmudgeonly even (had to work that word in), but this year, I’m feeling much more upbeat.

Without further ado, my reflection of my 2019 Slice of Life Challenge:

  1. As in past years, I’ve met some new, amazing writers who make my writing look like a six year old’s scribbling. Yes, I can be self-deprecating because I wrote for 31 days, darn it! 🙂 I’m followed new blogs and am amazed at the talent in our teachers.
  2. I’ve not felt like my voice projected much writing in my blog. I’ve got a great group of people (you know who you are) who I feel a connection with, but that “world wide voice” that we talk about with our students, I’ve not felt that much. Until this year. Between getting a shout out during on the Two Writing Teachers web site and just feeling like my writing connected with people more often, this is the first time I’ve felt that “voice” really coming through. It’s nice to see your writing having that ripple effect.
  3. I had one of those “band-aid” posts just because I got home late from the Brown Swiss Banquet. Other than that, I’ve felt my topics have been good slices from my own life, my own emotions, my own life experiences here in Nowhereville, Iowa. This has been noticeable to me in both content and word count (yes, I peak at that feature on WordPress).
  4. I’ve commented more than in any year previous, which felt wonderful. Again, there have been some absolutely amazing posts made this year, which makes commenting really easy. But my own flow has been better, which feels good too. As we consistently write, we should feel this happening more. This is what we tell our students, the more we write, the more comfortable we feel stepping out and trying new things, which leads to more writing! Never has that been more true! 🙂
  5. And finally, I’ve found I just enjoy writing more. The 30 followers I have (see number 1 about humor) can attest to the fact that there is a certain joy to my writing, whether it’s about basketball, family, the crazy things my sixth graders do, I’m finding that is so much easier to write about. I blame Jennifer and her blog Puro Love, Puro Clothespins, for this. In her blog titled, “On Living the Writerly LIfe.. the beginning of a philosophy”, she said:

Immerse yourself in things Writing.  Think the thoughts, speak the habit, live the language.

I think I’ve done that more this challenge than at any time before. What her blog                 about writing routines did was force me to notice those things I’d been doing! 🙂                   Thank you, Jennifer for putting into words what I could never do!

A couple of things before I sign off until Tuesday (or before if something peaks my interest):

  • If you happen to be in the Greensboro, North Carolina area, head over to the Greenboro Coliseum and cheer on the Iowa Women as they play against the #1 overall seed Baylor. They are heavy underdogs, but never count out a team that features the best player in the country, and is playing about as well as a team can right now. #FightforIowa
  • I read an article where hundreds of thousands of calves have been lost across Southwest Iowa and Nebraska. If this is anywhere close to being true, this is truly a generational event. If you are the praying type, please do so. If not, any positive energy you can spare, I know this part of the country is in need of it.

Thank you to Two Writing Teachers and all involved in the process that makes this challenge go so smoothly. If you are a first time slicer, please, come back and see us! We are here (I say this as if I’m the spokesperson!) on Tuesdays for the Slice of Life. This site has been so helpful to me as a writing teacher, so I hope you stick around, write, and take in what they have to offer!

And thank you to those who read my posts, who had a response to my writing, and a comment to share. You are the reason I get up on Tuesdays and Fridays to make sure I’ve got something written. You are the reason I notice the little things around me more clearly. And your friendship, your emotions, and your writing inspire me to be better myself. Thank you! 🙂

#seeyouonTuesday