I read yesterday in my most favorite magazine ever, O Magazine, about one writer's way to keep journaling about her life daily without it becoming an overwhelming activity with all the qualities of a burdensome task (think: trip to DMV) instead of it being a way to relax and unwind. I stopped feeling bad about not writing enough a long time ago, but I do recognize regular writing's value, so it's worth a shot, right? It involves a synopsis of the day by creating a list of five things that happened and that matter most...a summary of the worst to the best. So I'll be attempting to do that on a mostly-daily basis (I find that in non-urgent matters, the lower I set my expectations, the more pleasantly surprised I am in the end).
Before I get to my list for the week (because I just decided, as I was typing, that a weekly list might actually happen instead of being a lofty goal), I need to speak to the recent desire for privacy that I have acquired. I don't know if it's because I'm a whopping 34 now, but I'm more determined than ever to keep certain things private for the safety of my family. (Actually, I know exactly was prompted this. It's 13 years of being married to my paranoid husband, during which roughly 12 of those years I have been a cop's wife; and as the straw that broke the camel's back, seeing the movie, End of Watch, which was good for me to see, because it affirmed a lot of how I think, but was also bad for me to see because it affirmed a lot of how I think. I have never had the whole "it can't happen to me" mentality, and now I've wholeheartedly adopted an "it's only a matter of time" philosophy that surprisingly, has been endorsed by my psychiatrist as a healthy way to be prepared.)
The Internet has made it convenient to share things with family members on the other side of the country, as well as the other side of the globe, and with friends who are all over the place. But it may be time to rethink what is shared and limit it a lot more. It saddens me, because I am not one of those people who needs privacy for the sake of privacy. Rather, I need a certain level of privacy to protect my child and others from the scary people my husband encounters in his line of work. I am irritated by the Google search that I did this morning, because it turns out that my privacy has been violated, and for the life of me, I don't know how it happened. I have to say, I have Googled myself in the past because I was curious, but for the last few months or so, it has become customary to Google the names of family members to make sure that there isn't anything out there that shouldn't be out there. (I like to think of myself as the queen of turning on every possible privacy feature available.) When I saw the pictures that should not have shown up on a Google search, I immediately went to the sites where the pictures were accessible and read through the very confusing and not-at-all-helpful directions for how to keep the pictures from appearing to the public-at-large. As I type, I have still not quite followed all of the directions, because I am still not sure to what buttons/links the directions are referring, but I will figure it out. Or I will delete all those accounts. I've already quit using Google+. I abhor the "public information" sites that collect all of the information people would normally have to actually work to find and make them readily available with a search of a name.
But enough about that (my blood pressure has risen). Here's my list for the week:
- A parent who has been insinuating I am a heartless, militant, incompetent educator sent an e-mail pretty much acknowledging an understanding of everything I've said since the beginning of the year. Said parent also gave me glowing ratings on the parent survey. (On the last round of parent surveys, I had the best ratings I've ever had.)
- My homeroom class follows the procedures I've been teaching all year without a need for my interference, and works together as a community.
- My son and I made my husband feel loved for his birthday. We made him a special poster (I use the term, "we," loosely) and got him funny cards. We also got a yummy cake from Coldstone Creamery...and I will definitely get more cakes from there in the future!
- I had insomnia. I'm tired.
- I'm excited about booking The North Pole Experience!!
