So here it is: my blog.
Blogging isn’t new to me. My husband and I started a personal blog when we moved into our 100-year-old house just over 4 years ago. We wanted a place to write about our transition from living in an urban loft to a corner lot in a small town, and to journal the renovations we were making to the fixer-upper we decided to buy. We did a pretty good job keeping up with the blog for a year or two, then ran out of money (for the renovations) and time (for the renovations and the blog). My husband started his own business, I got a PhD, we had children, experienced a near-paralyzing personal tragedy, and weathered some significant family issues all in the span of less than 2 years. We had so much to blog about, the last thing we could think about was blogging. So it fizzled out as many blogs do.
But a little over a year ago, I decided I wanted to do more than just “follow” health care providers and professors using social media to inform, network, listen, and learn. I wanted to contribute to the health care and higher education social media communities, so I resolved to start a “professional” blog. But I immediately got stuck. What would I blog about? As a wife, mother, pediatric physical therapist, educator, and social media/tech junkie, I didn’t fit neatly into any blogging “box.” I wondered if anyone would actually read a blog about the things that interested me. And, frankly, I felt like there were so many other things I should be reading and writing, I didn’t have time to blog. So I put it off.
Then last week, I read Claire Potter’s post So You Think You Can Write During the Semester? In academia, we are expected to write and publish. But, like most academic faculty, I often feel like I am so busy taking care of the “little things” (catching up on email and attending meetings) that I never get to the big things (writing manuscripts). So I very much related to the “rock (scholarship) and the hard place (TheJob)” Ms. Potter described in her post. But two of Ms. Potter’s insights really resonated with me. She writes:
- Blogging helps me write more
- The more I write the more I write
Then it hit me: I had time to blog. In fact, I was wasting time by NOT blogging. Wasting my perspectives about the journal article I read, my ideas about the news story I heard, thoughts about teaching spinning in my head on my 45-minute commute home. I realized that, although blogging may not be considered “productive” by a promotion and tenure committee, it could serve as a way for me to get my thoughts in writing, formulate new ideas, network with colleagues with similar interests, and develop my professional online identity. All things that will lead to more traditional forms of “scholarship.” The more I write, the more I’ll write.
So here’s my blog. I won’t make any bold claims or big promises. I hope to post at least once a week, but sometimes I won’t get it done. I’ll try to stay focused on physical therapy and higher education, but I know I’ll stray. I may not always be right, and at times I may miss the mark. But I will always be thoughtful, open-minded, and flexible.
I will listen.
I will learn.
I hope you will, too.
Hearty welcome back to the blogging community, Kendra!I look forward to your reading your thoughts and insights on whatever you choose to share!
You know I am ready to consume, just subscribed you your feed.
Interesting thoughts and perspectives on the motivation to write.It is hard to write (for scholarship) and much more fun to post… although I don’t blog.I have found (much to my surprise) that I enjoy reading, posting, finding items for my lab Facebook page (www.facebook.com/KUREACHLAB; I couldn’t help it– had to share).I want to see what others think and sometimes it spurs an idea for research or someone then emails me with a question that I find interesting… or maybe it’s that PT in me –helping someone find an answer.Tweeting is not for me, the idea of Facebook for my day to day living– not going to happen, but professionally, I am finding social media challenging and I can learn more.. it’s more interactive and fun than email.
So, I must say, Kendra, thank you for sharing and encouraging me to jump onto the technology train..the ride is becoming more fun and by the way, I do love my iPad.
I know there is more I could be doing, but baby steps for me.
Thanks, Sandy!I agree it is more fun to post and blog, and – honestly – I think I’m much better at this type of writing versus scientific writing.In fact, one of my dissertation committee members once told me my writing was very “literary” (and I don’t think he meant it as a compliment).So blogging is a lot easier for me.As i mentioned in my post, though, I’m hoping that if I write more I’ll write more.And that blogging may lead me to new ideas and networking possibilities I may not have discovered otherwise.
I’m also glad you are enjoy your “ride” on the technology train.Never say never – you might just jumpinto the world of personal Facebooking someday.I know it’s not for everyone, but life changes and the world changes.That’s what makes it fun!