Winning Popularity Contests
I've never been popular. I've never had a million friends. I wasn't the Homecoming Queen or the Class President. I was a bit of a nerd and extremely into band and theater. Yeah, a nerd.
It didn't really bother me, or at least not enough to let it change who I was. Sometimes I wished to be 'cool' or popular, but it just wasn't happening. I was too defensive, too easy to anger and cared about things too much to ever be cool. I've made my peace with that because, as an adult, it means I'm quite comfortable with sticking to my principles, even when very few people agree with me or even like me.
So, why do I write and put it out there for everyone to see? Isn't that a contradiction? Maybe, a little. Sometimes I still care about what other people think. Sometimes I want some validation. Sometimes I like to think I have something valuable to share. It's part of being human. It's what keeps me from being a reclusive hermit.
As a part-time extrovert, whenever I think I have a good idea, my first impulse is to share it with someone. That's right, every good idea (and most of the bad ones) need to be shared. My poor husband usually gets them first. Sometimes my sons are the recipients. Sometimes I share them with the people on Facebook, although that's usually a huge waste of time and energy.
For all of those reasons, I started this blog. I haven't been consistent with my posts. I only write when I feel compelled to do so. I realize this isn't the way to build a 'following', but that's really not what I'm trying to do. I'm practicing. I'm trying to become a better writer. I'm attempting to stick to subjects that I really know and that are important to me. Who knows where it will lead. It might just end up being a fun exercise. At the very least, it's a great way to vent and collect my thoughts. If, someday, it leads to bigger and better things, all the better.
I realize that many of my ideas and lifestyle choices are not common or popular. However, I also know that, when I was on the fence about being a homeschooling parent, it really helped me to learn about other families who were already doing it. I suppose if I have a goal that isn't about meeting my own needs, it would be to help other homeschooling parents or parents who are considering the endeavor. It's okay that we're not popular. It's okay if people don't understand. It's okay that other parents question our motives or our success. People are always afraid of what they don't understand. We don't need them to understand. We don't have to convince everyone that homeschooling is a good option. We only have to convince ourselves. Every single day, we make a choice to continue or abandon the idea entirely.
Onward and upward. We may not win any popularity contests, but we will have the satisfaction of knowing that we followed our own hearts and minds into uncharted territory. It's a brave choice. It's a difficult choice. But it's always a choice. There's comfort in that.
It didn't really bother me, or at least not enough to let it change who I was. Sometimes I wished to be 'cool' or popular, but it just wasn't happening. I was too defensive, too easy to anger and cared about things too much to ever be cool. I've made my peace with that because, as an adult, it means I'm quite comfortable with sticking to my principles, even when very few people agree with me or even like me.
So, why do I write and put it out there for everyone to see? Isn't that a contradiction? Maybe, a little. Sometimes I still care about what other people think. Sometimes I want some validation. Sometimes I like to think I have something valuable to share. It's part of being human. It's what keeps me from being a reclusive hermit.
As a part-time extrovert, whenever I think I have a good idea, my first impulse is to share it with someone. That's right, every good idea (and most of the bad ones) need to be shared. My poor husband usually gets them first. Sometimes my sons are the recipients. Sometimes I share them with the people on Facebook, although that's usually a huge waste of time and energy.
For all of those reasons, I started this blog. I haven't been consistent with my posts. I only write when I feel compelled to do so. I realize this isn't the way to build a 'following', but that's really not what I'm trying to do. I'm practicing. I'm trying to become a better writer. I'm attempting to stick to subjects that I really know and that are important to me. Who knows where it will lead. It might just end up being a fun exercise. At the very least, it's a great way to vent and collect my thoughts. If, someday, it leads to bigger and better things, all the better.
I realize that many of my ideas and lifestyle choices are not common or popular. However, I also know that, when I was on the fence about being a homeschooling parent, it really helped me to learn about other families who were already doing it. I suppose if I have a goal that isn't about meeting my own needs, it would be to help other homeschooling parents or parents who are considering the endeavor. It's okay that we're not popular. It's okay if people don't understand. It's okay that other parents question our motives or our success. People are always afraid of what they don't understand. We don't need them to understand. We don't have to convince everyone that homeschooling is a good option. We only have to convince ourselves. Every single day, we make a choice to continue or abandon the idea entirely.
Onward and upward. We may not win any popularity contests, but we will have the satisfaction of knowing that we followed our own hearts and minds into uncharted territory. It's a brave choice. It's a difficult choice. But it's always a choice. There's comfort in that.
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