I knew that commenting on blogs is a good habit, one that makes the community stonger. In connecting, I hoped to reach out to my friends, lest they become only Christmas Card friends. I wanted to write in a space other than my blog.
Halfway through the year, I checked in with myself. I found that I was doing a pretty decent job on my commenting, though one can always improve. Other than a trip to Las Vegas with my college girlfriends, I hadn’t connected much with my friends and planned to do better. As for creating, I had written articles, tried some poetry, and helped in our filmmaking projects. But not enough of a writing focus.
Now, at the end of the year, it’s time to revisit the theme for 2008.
Comment: I’d say that the Comment Challenge puts a big checkmark by this goal. I also now recognize that there are periods where I don’t have time to keep up with my blog reading and commenting as much as I’d like. For instance, the entire month of December. But by keeping the concept in focus and by bringing the idea to the attention of others, I’m keeping it relevant.
Connect: I did abysmally on connecting with my lifelong friends. However, I spent a lot of time with my extended family, particularly my niece. I also worked on connecting with my blogging friends, both online and off. I was a pretty constant member of the DC Kid Lit Book Club, even when we had to drive two hours away to visit with Jenni Holm. (Totally worth it.) I throughly enjoyed the Kidlitosphere Conference, enough so to organize it next year. (Gulp.) I don’t know if I can call this a draw, or an astute observation that you can’t fit everyone in your life at one time, regrettably.
Create: I did some creative, artistic, literary things, but I did not get as far as I’d hoped with this goal. I did write a picture book, pretty much just as the publishing industry came crashing down. I’ll come back to that project next year, for sure. I know that I have more to write, but I’ve been unable to make it a priority, to my own disappointment.
For 2009, I’m keeping my mantra, but I’m changing the order.
Create. Connect. Comment.
Will that change in word order help reset my priorities? Eh, maybe. And as Girl Scouts have a slogan and motto that are completely unrelated, I’m adding a blanket resolution to Get Organized in 2009. I’ve got the book