As a blogger, I think that I write everyday, or at least on most days. If I don’t write, then I at least think about it. I either write posts and save them or schedule them, or I write posts and never do anything with them because I see it as pointless to post.
I used to want to be a full-time writer (psh, I still do) who could publish things for the world to see. In a way, I think I’ve kind of accomplished that enough to say that I’m halfway there. I publish posts onto a blog, and I suppose that the work I put into 6birds is the equivalent to that of a full-time job. Yes, if I had a job, then I would put less time into 6birds and spend more time working. However, I’m still not in that place mentally where getting a job and going off to work would be wise for me to do.
Sometimes I wonder if teachers Google me ever so often to see if I’ve published a book or “made it” like they had told me I would. If they ever found my blog, I’d really hope that they would comment or at least email me. I don’t think I made it in the sense that we both had imagined, but I think I still made it.
Other times, I feel mad at them. I feel mad at them because I made it without their help. I “made it” out. The people who supported me so much in Austin were the people who were also supposed to protect me, and they didn’t help me.
That’s when I start to wonder if they ever really supported me at all.
If you support someone, that means you’ll help them, right?
If you loved this post, please share or buy me a pretzel:
Comments on this post
Kya
I think it is really amazing that you are blogging so much, and putting so many thoughts out there, because if you want to write you have to ‘write’ like so many authors say. Like you I would love to be able to do that as well, but I have trouble concentrating on one thing long enough, especially in writing because it requires such heavy discipline. Are you going to take part in NaNoWrimo this year? I am going to try, I have never managed to break the 50k though.. or even 10k… >.<
Liz
@Kya, I’m not sure yet; if I do, I’m not going to put as much pressure on myself like I did last year.
Amanda
Those are some pretty heavy questions you’re asking. Well as long as you think you made it in a way that makes you happy or at least content to some level, I think that’s good enough? Or if it’s not, it’ll push you to do more.
Stephanie
I believe that there’s an unspoken etiquette for teachers to just never contact former students – it’d be creepy if they did! It’s up to the students to contact them. Maybe some of them have found your blog and read it, but they cannot comment.
As a teacher, you need to maintain a sense of distance from your students (because you’re a teacher, not their family, and you can’t be creepy), yet you need to be close. I have no idea where the fine line is. I’ve seen some teachers help like family members and others choosing to keep their distance. It’s an odd relationship to maintain, if you ask me.
Liz
@Stephanie,
I meant that teachers legally have to, in Texas, report anything they’re told of regarding abuse. Because, technically, those that didn’t can get into trouble for it if they’re dragged into anything.
Sigh. As I blog more about my teachers, too, I’ve found that different places (e.g. schools, cities, etc.) have different ideas of how teacher-student relationships should be. At Forney HS, teachers were strictly professional and rarely had conversations with the students. At Trinity HS, teachers and students sometimes shared numbers, students babysat for teachers, etc. but not to the point that it was rule-breaking; it was just a very close-knit lifestyle that made for a more comfortable educational experience. I think it’s why teachers basically always got along with the students.
Liv
Personally I think supporting and helping are different. Think about it like supporting is a way of saying you want to help but am not going to.
I have plenty of people supporting Stop Abuse of AC but nobody is helping. (Other than Stephanie.)
Christine
I think this post is interesting because I consider myself a writer as well. No, I don’t have a book deal, but I do get paid to write for organizations, I get paid to teach writing, and I write on my blog (though not as often as I should) like you do. I think a good blog is a like having a full-time job. Just look at Tashina at https://logicalharmony.net. Even if it is like a full-time job, I don’t think it should ever FEEL like one. Does that make sense?
As for the concept of supporting versus helping…I think that’s a tricky subject. As a teacher I support all of my students, but I’m not always aware of their need for help, nor do I think any teacher can be all of the time. I think support is more of the emotional aspect (i.e. I support my students in their chosen majors by encouraging them), but help is more of a physical task (i.e. I will fill out a degree declaration form with my students because they don’t know how or don’t know where to get one). I think people in general can support one another, but don’t always have the resources, means, or know-how to help. /end coffee induced comment. 😛
Hiro
I tend to think most “supporters” are “couch supporters.” Like couch activists whose sense of “activism” is sitting on the couch hitting LIKE on facebook posts/pages or reblogging a post on tumblr. They feel like they’ve done something because they said they supported it.
Many people offline would “support” you but only to the extent of saying, “Go at it! I support you!” They’ll forget about it few hours later. The biggest extent most people go is a one time donation to a cause or walking a 5K in some organization’s honor or putting on a pin.
I don’t think they really mean that they will help you just because they “support” you. But that’s just from my experience, and I might be slightly biased.