I've been working on cleaning up my cyber-life. I found myself frequenting forums that I just don't enjoy anymore. And receiving e-mails through Yahoo Groups I don't care for either. I don't feel like I fit in. Guess it is hard for a freak to find a place to be herself. I'm not an unschooler. I'm not a Christian homeschooler. I don't have a big family.
But I've figured out that blogging is where I do fit in. I blog. My friends blog. I enjoy writing and reading blogs. That is where I'm going to concentrate my efforts.
Blogging and Homeschool-Talk.com. I like HST a lot, and not just because I run it, but because people are nice there. I'm tired of people being mean and negative. Oh, I can complain with the best of them. But I can also say something nice. And I try to never hurt people's feelings. At HST people are nice, everyone is welcome, and we try to support each other through whatever we are going through. That's what I like in a forum.
I haven't actually deleted my accounts anywhere, but I have deleted a lot of my bookmarks. That slows me down from going back. And I haven't missed anything yet. I also changed my several of my Yahoo group memberships to no e-mail. I haven't missed getting messages from any of them either.
That leaves the only child Yahoo group I started a few weeks ago. That just isn't panning out like I'd hoped. I was rereading a lot of the messages yesterday and I thought that if I just joined and saw how mean and argumentative and negative they are, I would leave the group or certainly not participate. It was a good idea, the mix just wasn't right. Or maybe it lacked focus or leadership. I just know I don't have the energy or interest to do anything with it to try to save it. If anyone wants to try to save it, you are welcome to it. Let me know and I'll transfer the group ownership over to you. Otherwise I'll probably delete it soon. I'm not bitter about it, it just didn't work out. Lots of things don't pan out on the internet. You try them, then you move on to something else. Maybe I'll try something else this summer.
For now I need to concentrate on a really big project for work, Girl Scout Spring registration, and finishing up third grade. That's enough projects for me.
6 comments:
Hey, always remember that your are unique, just like everyone else. :-0
I know what you mean. I'm the only homeschooler in my family and the only one at church. I'm more liberal than all the other people in my homeschooling group but if I joined a more liberal group, I'd probably be considered too conservative!
You just gotta make your own way. No one's ever going to agree with you completely. I really don't think there's any such thing as like-minded. We're all different and that's what makes it interesting.
Every now and then I go and purge my yahoo groups too and get rid of the ones that don't help me.
I never fit in with other hs'ers either. It's not even that I'm not fundamental Christian or whatever but in general the non-religious schoolers here are either unschoolers and/or crunchy (which I'm definitely NOT) or really "waldorfy" minded in that they look down on you if you admit your child and family loves Disney, tv or anything current in pop culture. They think they are so liberal yet I find them all as close-minded as the religious hs'ers. So, I don't fit in either camp. We're just a regular middle class mainstream family that happens to homeschool, that's it. Why is that so uncommon? LOL
I hear you. Cleaning up your cyber life is necessary. Sometimes I feel this weird obligation to check in on certain forums then I think, why should I? I'm not going to hurt anyone..I have a REAL life, too. I agree with you on the blogging thing. That is where I am gaining most of my encouragement etc lately. For now. Maybe that will change too. Fitting in is hard. I think, really, beyond one or two people, we're always going to feel like no one totally gets every part of us. I've had to come to terms with that lately. Even my best friend doesnt' "get" certain side of me. We are all originals. Finding peace with that, for me, has been difficult.
Meanwhile, the yahoo group. I loved the idea of it, and that you started it. I'm not finding homeschooling an only a huge challenge at this point, so I don't frequent the group as much. But I agree that you should cut out what takes unproductive time away from other things.
Well, I'm not classical, not unschooling, I don't have a gifted or special needs child...it seems that both camps sorta tolerate me. At least with my blog people stop by when THEY want to. Take what they want. I'm Christian but I DO NOT discuss religion or politics online...I HATE controversy and negativity on forums. Why go there? I have enough of that in my RL to deal with? I would rather discuss religion/politics face to face w/out getting misconstrued. A "real" exchange over a cup of coffee is better in my mind...Well, I digress, but I loved you post..a very good reminder that it's okay to spring clean our cyber life.
You already know what I think!
Freakmom,
I don't fit in anywhere either.
I live in the Bible Belt - BUT - I'm black, I'm gay, I'm not religious, I have a child who's always in the hospital but I'm trying not to let it DEFINE us, I'm dirt poor, I only have one kid . . . I mean I could go on and on and on.
We're all here for a reason, I'm also clueless, so I haven't figured mine out yet, but I know that each of us counts. Don't let not fitting in get you down - I wear my not fitting in like a badge of honor.
Why be ordinary, BE EXTRAORDINARY! LOL. Isn't that corny? Well, it's all I've got right now, it's a little late in the day.
Anyway, I've really trimmed down my form-visiting as well. It's time away from my family, my sanity, and my blog. LOL. I like blogging and I really like reading your blog, so keep up the good work.
Don't be afraid to trim the fat, it's good for you.
AMEN~~! Cutting out the negativity is always the best thing! I am a blog addict also. That is where I fit!
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