My Blogging Queue

Once again, I owe a debt of gratitude to a fellow #writeandrun31 member, this time, EJ Runyon. In a brief exchange of comments with EJ, I noted how impressed I was with her ability to write 50,000 words in one month. And not just once, but many times.

I told her that I struggle to get 500 words per day, and that my writing process for this 31 day challenge has been to just sit in front of the computer and stare at a blank screen, and hope that something to write about magically comes to me. I’ve survived in this manner for the first seven days, but I also realize that some days the writing is not very good or very profound. I know this approach is not a viable long-term solution if I want to write something meaningful every day, and EJ suggested that I think of some topics and take notes about them before I sit down to write my blog.

So I’ve been trying to do this for the past couple of days, and I thought I would share some of the topics I’ve been thinking about, and a brief blurb about each one. Hopefully you will see each of these turn into a well-written, thought-provoking blog post, but for now, I’ll just be happy getting 500 words out of each of them.

My Greatest Fears

1. All reptiles – snakes, lizards, alligators, crocodiles (I really don’t care what the difference is, either one would scare me to death), etc. The fear has gotten to the point that I’ve ruled out what seems to be in many respects a possibly wonderful place to retire – Hilton Head – because there seems to be way too many alligators, or is it crocodiles?
2. Singing solo in public.
3. Doing a a 5-minute stand-up routine.
4. Calling on a student in class by the wrong name.

I’m sure there’s many more that I can come up with, but I think writing about my fears will be helpful.

My Vision Board

I created a vision board a few years ago, almost because I had to. So not only does it need to be updated, but I need to invest more of myself in the process. I already ask my students to create their own vision board, and after all what’s good for the goose is good for the gander.

My Faith Journey

From devout Catholic to atheist to agnostic to? I believe there is something bigger than us, but what that is I don’t know, but I’m always searching. This would be a tough one to write about, but doing so may help bring me some clarity.

My Suggested Headlines for The Onion

The Onion has the funniest writing on the web, and the headlines alone are often enough to get me laughing out loud. I frequently think of my own headlines that I think are Onion-worthy, so I am going to try and come up with enough to make a blog post out of them.

My Bucket List

While the movie didn’t do much for me, I’ve come across some great bucket lists in my readings, and I thought it would be quite motivating to create my own.

What I’ve Learned from Being a Vegan for Eight Years

I read John Robbins’ Food Revolution, and I went from a typical American diet to vegan the day I finished the book. That was eight years ago, and I’m more committed than ever to the vegan lifestyle. It may be helpful to share why  and what I’ve learned over the past several years.

Why I Didn’t Upgrade to the iPhone 6

I love everything about Apple. Ask any of my students; by the end of the semester I know they are tired of all the times I use Apple as an example of a company that does so many things the right way. Steve Jobs was probably the person I most wanted to meet someday (scratch that off my bucket list). Over the past 10 years our family has probably bought over 30 Apple products. So why didn’t I upgrade to what appears to be the best smartphone out there? I plan to share my reasons in a future post.

How Did We Get Directions before Google Maps?

A few years ago one of my sons asked me how we figured out how to get from Point A to Point B, before Google Maps came along. For a generation that grew up always using such apps, it must be a baffling thought. And I must admit it did cause me to pause and think about how I used to get directions. It would be fun to write about how dependent we have all become on technology, including myself.  By the way, I consider Google Maps the greatest app that has ever been developed.

Why Do We Pass Up Opportunities That Are Good for Us?

When presented with the opportunity to save money or to make money or to live a healthier life, why do so many people, myself included, ignore such opportunities. The one that always gets me is the opportunity to join Planet Fitness. $10 a month, $30 annual renewal fee. Total cost, $150 per year. My company’s health insurance plan will reimburse up to $150 per year in gym membership fees to anyone who joins a gym and makes at least 120 visits per year. So that makes my Planet Fitness membership FREE! Plus, it’s a great incentive to get at least 120 workouts in per year. However, most people I tell about this, don’t do anything about it. And this is just one of many examples. I think it may be worth exploring why that is.

So there you have it, nine possible blog posts in the queue. Plus, I got to write about the queue itself, this post was like a bonus! My only concern is that once again I see no consistent theme among the possible blog posts. Not sure if there needs to be, but I think it would be easier to come up with ideas if the blog was focused on one BIG IDEA. Maybe there’s another blog post there…

Thank you again EJ!