Because I know that’s what you were all thinking and that you were consumed with worry, right? :)
I have good intentions of writing these spectacular, well thought-out blog posts with engaging new angles on controversial issues, and I have about a half a dozen beginnings of posts, but seriously, who am I kidding? If I wait for the day when I can spend hours writing, I may as well sign the Do Not Resuscitate notice for this blog. When I read other blogs, especially mom blogs, I can’t help but wonder how on earth anyone has the time to do this. Between partners, and children, and friends, and children, and jobs, and chores, and children, and bills, and everything in between, how on earth does anyone have time to write the brilliant, charming, and witty things I see on the internet every day? And if you think I’m implying that my child takes up a hy-oooge portion of my time and even more of my energy these days, you’re right, and I’ve only got the one kid! What about those of you with two or more? Believe me when I say you’re like mommy deities to me, because I don’t know how you do it. And after you get done writing, how do you have time to read all the other amazing blogs that are out there and comment, and twitter, and facebook the hell out of it all? I know that for some your job IS blogging, and thus, you take your job responsibilities as seriously as I do mine. But my sense from being out and about around the internet lately is that everyone pretty much has their shit together far better than I.
If you’ve been following my Twitter (and yes, I know I should add the link to this blog, but it’s one. more. thing. on an already long to-do list), you’ll know I’m just getting over a cold that lasted more than 3 weeks, a cold that promptly kicked my ass then kicked my daughter’s ass while I was still down for the count. Prior to that, we were in Dallas for a conference for Mr. Shoe’s work. Airplane germies + hotel germies + the winter that won’t end + little sleep = well DUH, it’s no wonder you’re sick. And my tweets have also hinted at a really rough work week this week and very little sleep for the past several nights (It’s unicorns crapping daisies and sunshine over there, I swear). So I will grant that I’m probably not in the best frame of mind to be evaluating how together my shit is relative to everyone else’s, nevertheless, even when I’m healthy and things are relatively calm, this blog still suffers.
In case you’re wondering, this isn’t the I-don’t-know-why-I’m-doing-this-so-I’m-going-to-take-a-hiatus-from-blogging-but-I-would-secretly-like-it-if-you-would-beg-me-to-come-back post, because I think that’s a little silly. I know why I do this (or at least why I try): to flex my writing muscles (corporate writing freezes those muscles up faster than botox, I tell ya); to foster the relationships that have only been possible through my online presence; to learn from the rest of you; and to participate in a community that is genuine and inspiring. This is more the I’m-venting-my-spleen-and-trying-to-figure-this-whole-work-life-blog-balance-thing-out. (On an unrelated tangent, could there be any grosser phrase than “venting your spleen”? I always imagine an angry inflamed spleen with a little valve that you open to let it vent its splenetic juices and steam like Old Faithful.) At the end of the day, I imagine each blogger has their own strategies of managing the balance issue. Or perhaps you’re all as scattered as I am but are way better at hiding it? Either way, I’d be interested to hear your thoughts about this. How do you find balance between your online life and your so-called “real” life? How do you make time for it all? Do you ever feel like you’re sacrificing one for the other? If so, how do you reconcile that? These are the questions that keep me up at night, so help me out here!