My Mistakes... Entertainment or Affirmation?

Blogging was something I started to help my students. It was becoming such a common tool for personal and professional development that I figured I better get on board and figure it out. For students dreaming of writing professionally, blogging was starting to emerge to me as something worth spending time on.

A good elementary school friend of mine that currently works as an editor at Scholastic Canada opened my eyes to it. When I contacted her asking for advice on behalf of some of my students she was more than willing to help out. Part of my job here at Graceland is to help students get connected to people that could ask them the sorts of questions or give them the sorts of suggestions that I don't have the background for. My bizarre and far reaching network of excellent people has helped me to do this, and I am ever grateful.

My friend agreed to do some "Mock Interviews." Before she interviewed my students however, she asked for links to their blogs and to see some writing samples.

I generally make it a policy that I will not ask students to spend time doing anything that I would not be prepared to do myself. What you are now reading has developed as part of my personal policy as connected with student expectations. No one likes a hypocrite. I'm no exception.

What have I learned about what I share and who reads it?

There are a lot of people that seem to have stumbled across me. What is it that they enjoy reading about? So far, my most popular post has been "Take Two...So What Have We Learned?" I wrote it before I ran off to Las Vegas and married my favorite guy.

I find it curious that even now, months after it was written, it continues to be something that is revisited by viewers. It wasn't well written. It was just a list of point form notes.

Why do people look at it? Here are a couple of possibilities I've thrown around...

• People are curious about the man I had been dating so privately for so long.
  

If that was the case you were probably pretty disappointed. You won't get much info on him by reading. I decided when I started writing not to tell stories that didn't belong to me. While there are bits of who he is in comments, and details, out of respect for his overactive brain I've tried to keep most things off the radar.

• People who know the man I married were shocked that he was actually getting married and had to find out who the girl was.

Yes...he is very VERY private...and you thought you knew him didn't you! Don't ask me why the man is the way he is... I have no idea. I can imagine why you might be curious after the initial Facebook flurry of congratulations went out. You, like many others probably didn't even know he was dating anyone. Of course there is a curiosity about the phantom bride...is she even a real person?

Curiosity in the 21rst century is a pretty easy thing to satisfy. Even though my Facebook page is not directly connected to my husband's (don't ask), chances are if you know him...you're Facebook friends with someone who knows me.

• People are curious about my personal confessions in conjunction with marriage number one.
  

Again... connecting people to each other is not exactly rocket science. Facebook has unraveled more interesting stories I'm sure.

But what about all those people that don't know me or the people in my life at all? Why would this be a popular post?

I'm guessing a possible answer is because I'm not all that special. A lot of people have had relationship screw ups. I would like to think that a lot of people are also trying to take responsibility for their part of the screw up and move forward in a healthy way.

If my lessons learned were helpful, I'm grateful that I shared. I'm sure I'll have an entirely new and longer list by this time next year.

"Lessons Learned in Year One of Marriage" (ooohhhh boy..... yes there are quite a lot I can think of already)

So if my mistakes entertain you...have at it. You won't hurt my feelings. I think I'm pretty ridiculous sometimes too. If they are affirming in some way, then by all means, read as often as you'd like.