On Not Writing

My dad used to play golf. He would play on his days off, and because he worked shift work, they often fell in the middle of the week, which allowed him to play when we were in school or busy with activities. It was also something we started to do together, hitting balls at a par-3 course, and just spending a nice afternoon together.

Then he retired and he stopped playing golf. Just like that, an activity that appeared to be so important to him ceased to be relevant, or, as he put it to me, even necessary. Golf, for him, was an escape, a release, a little vacation from a job that he really didn’t like all that much (ok, he hated it). And when he didn’t have the job he hated, he didn’t need to golf anymore.

I started my blog when I was angry and frustrated and despondent and just generally dissatisfied about my professional life. And for five long years, I kept blogging about the various professional dissatisfactions. Now that I’m professionally happy? What does that mean for my blog? What do I write about instead?

I’m not announcing that I’m not blogging anymore. But I went through a similar mini-drought when I changed platforms from my Blogger blog to here on IHE; the context changed and needed to comfortable with it. It’s also strange because I know my immediate supervisor reads my blog (Hi!). It’s one thing to blog and be relatively certain that few, if anyone, that you directly work with read what you write. It’s another to know your boss is reading your blog a within a few feet of me. He read me before I was hired, so it’s not like it’s a problem, but it is a transition.

Additionally, I’ve made a commitment to myself to leave my work at work. Part of that, however, was out of necessity; the kids are going to bed later and starting earlier, so by the time they finally go to sleep, I’m too tired to really get any work done, blogging included. Couple that with an adorable dog that enjoys sleeping on me once the kids aren’t there to play with him anymore, my former blogging time isn’t as productive as it once was.

I also haven’t had much to write about, other than perhaps repeating over and over “I LOVE MY NEW JOB AND IT IS SUPER AWESOME!!!!” Which would get tedious and annoying quickly. But I also feel bad because I know so many of my friends and people I care about aren’t in great jobs, and I remember how I felt when I read tweets and blog posts about people’s awesome jobs…

I started my blog when I was angry and frustrated and despondent and just generally dissatisfied about my professional life. And for five long years, I kept blogging about the various professional dissatisfactions. Now that I’m professionally happy? What does that mean for my blog? What do I write about instead?

I’m sure I’ll get jaded and disillusioned soon enough and have plenty of things to write about again. Or, I’ll get used to being happy and have plenty of things to write about again.

Either way, stay tuned. Part 2 comes on Monday.