Now that it is an hour and 16 minutes into May 5th, I would imagine that the Star Wars Day greeting, “May the Fourth be with you,” will get more of a groan, than a chuckle. Ah well, the vagaries of life lived on the edge, straddling the fence, and always running to catch the bus.
Writing 101 is over. Yes, I groused about most of the prompts, but I think the attempts were more successful than I expected… or I’m living large in the mind… Anyway, I had been feeling a bit uneasy about the course ending. What would I do next? I’d actually be faced with, what in the world will I do with my blog? What direction will it take?
Enter A Story A Day challenge. Oh yes, The Lovers are on my side. Passions abound, as they have since the early days of this year, when I clicked that button. That was then, this is now, and I’m still going. I drinking at the fountain of creativity, and am drunk on the experience, which has turned out to be so entirely different than I expected. It is so reminiscent of a scene from Defending Your Life:
In the movie, Daniel is sitting in the Tram, on the way to downtown Judgment City, the morning after arriving. An elderly woman sitting behind him says, “Is this the way you thought it would be?. I never thought it would be like this.”
No. Blogging isn’t like I thought it would be. In fact, blogging is like being part of a college campus again, living in a dorm, hanging out in the student union after classes, talking about everything. Blogging has a greater aspect of socializing than even college did. Then, it was face to face, with a million distractions. Now, it’s screen to screen and the focus is intense. The assignments aren’t just doing your own work, but connecting with your fellow students, and suddenly it’s a community. You’re not alone anymore.
Yes, people come and people go. But in the end, we’re all having greater conversations in the comment sections than posts written in our actual blogs. How cool is that?
All of this is to say, this has been an amazing experience, and the people I’ve met, and with whom I hope to continue hobnobbing, have broadened my horizons in a major way. Thank you all, from the hard working leaders in the courses and in the Commons, to the people I’ve come to hope will be there for a long time to come.
You’ve all been amazing and I don’t think I could have gotten through it without you.
Here’s to these days becoming the reality of a favored older song:
Quantum Hermit 
May 05, 2015 @ 02:05:15
I still have a number (most) of the assignments to do so I have challenges ahead but connecting with people like your good self and a lot of others has been the real benefit from Writing 101 for me. I just hope we can all keep in touch and continue to encourage and support each other in this noble endeavour.
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May 05, 2015 @ 14:25:52
I think as we go forward, we’ll figure out how to balance writing and reading/commenting more easily since there won’t be assignments daily demanding our time. It will be more relaxed, and we’ll have more time to hang our with everyone we’ve met along the way here! Support and encouragement is so important, and needs that revolving door to keep the flow, two way traffic 🙂 Glad you have you along on my continuing journey!
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May 05, 2015 @ 04:35:54
whilst I appreciate the reason for putting Mary Hopkins up here – I have to tell you that I have never been a fan – ever since my aunt – who taught her at school – told me her memories of her! No need to go into details – smile!
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May 05, 2015 @ 14:22:55
I had another song in mind but have never found it on You Tube. Still, it was more about the song, not the singer. 🙂
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May 05, 2015 @ 15:43:12
i know – i just reacted – smile
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May 05, 2015 @ 08:42:33
I love your analogy to college- spot on.
We’re all just lounging around, sitting on the desks while the teachers aren’t looking, trying to see if the fit boy from two years above us has noticed we’ve taken our skirt in so tight we have to walk with our knees together… Or something like that.
It was great, a really enjoyable course and I defend your right to use Mary Hopkins in whatever way you see fit 🙂
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May 05, 2015 @ 14:32:36
I’m always getting rides back in time, these days. Writing/blogging seems to do that. What I remember most from college was the time spent just enjoying the people, and the conversation, and playing pong, and eating as much junk food as I wanted, because I hadn’t slowed down my metabolism at that point, so the sky was the limit on snacks lol
I love going back to the old songs. They remind me of a less frenzied time. My campus wasn’t all rolling lawns, and quads, but Washington Square Park was a major ace in the ambiance realm. The cafes along the streets in The Village were times very well spent, and I learn a lot during that time… not academically, no, but about the path I have chosen. Those really were the days, and this feels like the same. 🙂 Thank you for coming and hanging out!
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May 06, 2015 @ 13:35:23
You make it sound rather wonderful. I dropped out of education at sixteen and didn’t get a degree until my thirties and that was through the Open University- a distance learning uni where I rarely saw other students on my course. I guess I missed out on all the social, naughty, cheap beer and hanging out side of things.
Sounds like a worthwhile way to spend your best years to me!
And it’s easy to hang out when the reading’s so enjoyable- thank you 🙂
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May 06, 2015 @ 19:28:46
I didn’t go right to college after high school. I graduated on a commercial diploma and took off for the School of Hard Knocks on the streets, before I came back to the fold, and decided to try college. I spent a year in night school to get the credits to matriculate. Then it was two years commuting before I moved on campus. That’s when it got really interesting! I met some very good friends there, a couple of whom I still keep in touch with on holidays and birthdays. While not the same, I feel like I’m getting as much out of Blogging University as I did then, and am meeting some outstanding people and writers! You know how they talk about second childhoods? When these are my second college Daze. 🙂
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May 07, 2015 @ 07:34:08
If you’re anything like me, you probably got more from your studies by starting them later. I just was not ready in my teens.
It always seems odd to me, that during our teens – years when many people will be the most mentally unstable they will be during their lives – we (at least in the UK) put pressure on young people to pass exams, to move from one institution to another, to make huge choices that could affect the rest of their adult lives. We should all take a few years off, work in some rotten low paid job, then come to further education when our hormones are settled and we’re ready to make the most from the opportunities we’re given.
Or is that the old lady in me talking?
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May 07, 2015 @ 17:49:24
No, it’s not the old lady, it’s experience talking. We KNOW, what they do not yet know, and while I’m sure some will do well getting through exams, I don’t think they will be emotionally ready for the pressure, and the competitiveness. One problem with ‘lower education’ is that they don’t teach essential living. I remember years ago in the movie “To Sir With Love,” the things he ended up teaching them were things they would need on a basic level, to be able to then decide where they’d like to go. I like your idea of working a couple of years before moving on. But try to work in a field you may be interested in pursuing later, and find out first if that’s a fit.
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May 09, 2015 @ 03:44:05
Yes, life skills. It’s tricky – I suppose some things only come with experience, but a good grounding in what it is to be a human being would be a good start. We’re very focussed here on trying to make school leavers ‘fit for work’ as if that were the only thing that over a decade of school was for. We don’t want kids churned out like sausages – we want young adults who are decent people, good members of society. Now I really sound like an old lady!
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May 09, 2015 @ 12:25:46
With how the world has changed, I believe it was possible that back ‘in the day’ school was for giving us what was necessary for that so called ‘well rounded education’ which had nothing to do with learning personal etiquette, and was left to the family to instill in us. But in today’s world, there’s nobody left at home to do that, so a huge chunk of what is necessary to survive living in the real world, outside of the school environment has slipped through the cracks.
However, one thing I recall reading about ‘learning’ is something that our schools would never allow – or seeks not to, at any rate – is the importance of making mistakes, to learn from them. We’re not allowed mistakes. It’s not forgiven. But were we not chastised for making mistakes, but given the time and opportunity to learn from them, we might not make such a mess of things later one when we become the ‘responsible’ ones. Don’t know if that makes sense. It did to me, though. 🙂
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May 11, 2015 @ 04:38:40
I’m sure you’re right about some children lacking family support. There was a news report here a few weeks ago saying that our teachers spend millions every year feeding certain pupils breakfast, even washing their clothes for them because no one at home is doing it.
I think you’re right about mistakes too. I remember getting the sack from my Saturday job when I was sixteen – I was lazy, dressed inappropriately and was more interested in having price gun fights around the shelves than working! I was so upset at the news, it definitely helped make me a harder working employee and I’ve remained employable ever since.
I guess others would’ve reacted differently, but making mistakes teaches you things no amount of lecturing from adults can.
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May 05, 2015 @ 10:56:05
What an absolutely beautiful tribute! I feel the very same way. (And Lord KNOWS I needed to feel a bit young again! 🙂 ) You know, I should have named that new site Tardis Travels or something like that! Wonder if I should try and change it???
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May 05, 2015 @ 14:35:14
Thank you so much! I knew I’d been neglecting here, because of Story A Day goings on. So I wanted to let everyone know what it all has meant for me, to me.
Nothing says we can’t have TWO new sites lol After all, George Carlin put it best… we do need a place for our stuff, and sometimes just one place doesn’t do it. 😀
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May 05, 2015 @ 16:01:50
I nominated you for the Liebster award….. Do check my blog post…
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May 05, 2015 @ 19:39:38
Thank you!!! I will go and check it. I’m catching up on everything here, since yesterday seemed too filled with offline matters.
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