Musings from an Aspiring #ExtraCreditKid
“No bread, no pasta, no sugar, no dairy.” When my ob/gyn issued this directive at my first prenatal checkup for my first pregnancy, I nodded along. I screamed “WTF am I supposed to eat?” in my head, of course. Giving up all of those things seemed inconceivable. Also, I dismissed my doctor’s concerns as overreactive…
“Frere Jacques, Frere Jacques Dormez poop? Dormez poop?” “Stop it!” My daughter shrieked at her older brother’s mention of the word poop. That one-room Airbnb rental with no tv, no wifi, and spotty cell service suddenly seemed like the worst idea. EVER. I also began questioning my ability to parent alone. Maybe, my husband staying…
What you would do if you had a whole week away from your kids? Me, I’m attending SFD20 from August 5 – August 8th! Virtually, of course. If you’ve ever attended a Field Day event, you know the intensity required to synthesize tons of content, pose somewhat coherent questions, and socially interact with others. The…
I stood there, stunned. Wasn’t that precisely what I said? Why did the idea suddenly gain more credibility, five-minutes later, when it passed the lips of a male co-worker? Why couldn’t my boss hear me and this idea? Was there something wrong with how I communicate? Was it me? This wasn’t the first time this…
Individualized Education Plan (IEP} time. Ugh, this is when I stew in the dashed hopes of my child ever catching up academically and simultaneously wallow in parental guilt and shame. I do all of this while preparing to battle teachers about why my child isn’t getting all of the needed supports or services. If you…
“Has anyone ever done such a horrible job that all of the work had to be scrapped?” I’ve graduated past asking that question, but thoughts like these appear whenever I agree to do bold, uncomfortable sh*t. I’m beyond grateful to Keith Townsend (@ctoadvisor) for the opportunity to present, but giving a session at CTO Advisors…
“I’m not sure that I have any interesting stories to tell. My life has been pretty boring.” When my Toastmasters mentor disagreed with me, I silently discounted her assurances. After all, how could she know whether I had had anything interesting to say. She hasn’t lived my boring life, and she doesn’t know the real…
“I find it hard to believe that your mother didn’t hug you or comfort you.” Another writer questioned me about the personal story I submitted for the writing group. My blandly titled “LIfe Moments #1” submission recounted the night that my mother left my father and my perspective about it. I quickly replied I didn’t…
Six Months? Seriously? Has it been that long since I walked out of that job with nothing on the horizon, but a trip to VMworld on the schedule? “August me” was exhausted. I never thought “burn out,” but it was. These months away have left me energized, more self-aware, and excited for the future. My…
“I’m not sure who I am, but I know who I’ve been.” —Modest Mouse. “Make Everyone Happy/Mechanical Birds“ If quitting your job doesn’t cause you to question your identity, nothing will. We are conditioned to tie who we are to what we do. More than that, we create stories and assign labels to ourselves and…