I can’t believe the school year is already over! Well almost, we still have to make it through finals… Anyways, this year has gone by so quickly. I feel like it was just yesterday that we were beginning class, and being introduced to blogging. I remember the very first day blogging was introduced to us; I was nervous and a little overwhelmed. I felt like I wouldn’t ever have anything interesting enough for people to want to read, and I think the act of putting my writing out there kind of scared me. However, as weeks went on, I began to like the routine of the blogging world, and how I began to feel “more connected”, to say the least.
When looking back at this semester in particular, I feel a sense of accomplishment, as well as a sense of “oh I wish I had done this” or “improved on that”. I feel proud that I was able to take on the task, even though I felt a little unsure and uncomfortable at first. I met some of my previous goals, but also have some that I didn’t quite accomplish, and some I will continue to strive for. Specifically speaking, I still have trouble keeping my posts concise. I tend to write lengthy posts (one example is my post “Black and Yellow”… and another may be this one, unfortunately). However, I have had some posts this semester that had a more appropriate length, but this is still something I would like to work on, if I continue to blog, and even in my own writing in general. Another thing I wish I had done more was write more controversial topics (I’m not saying something offensive, more of posts that gave more of an opinion and make the reader want to comment, and “extend the conversation”.) The posts that I have felt most rewarding are the ones I get the most feedback on. It’s great to see how others view the specific topic, especially if it’s a different opinion than my one, because it helps me look at the topic from a different perspective. I think it is important to not lose sight of perspectives, and that it only helps us grow as writers when we see the world through many lenses. Even if we don’t agree with what someone else has said, it helps us get a better understanding of the topic as well as helping us strengthen our own opinion. With that being said, I enjoyed reading the comments on my “Success?” post, in which I was able to see another side to the story.
However, if I had to pick, I think my most rewarding post was “Athletes vs. Firefighters”. And it’s not because I got over 2,300 views on the post alone (though Mr. Bolos says I only got that many because of the title, I like to think differently…) Anyway, the reason I got so much out of that post was because not only was I able to connect it to a topic we talked briefly about in class (what do different career incomes say about our society, and what we value?) but also I was able to hear from an actual firefighter. It was cool to hear his take on it, since I wrote about his job, so he obviously is more educated on it than I am. Since this post was technically not second semester, although most of the views and comments were, I cannot pick it for the post I would like to be graded. Instead, Doc OC and Bolos, I would like you to read “A Not-So-Typical Graduation”. I feel like this post reflects my attempt to connect what I have learned in class to my every day life, which ultimately was my goal of blogging.
I’m really going to miss this class (special thanks to Doc OC and Bolos for making this class so incredible), and this blogging experience, so I hope to stay connected when I can. For now, hope you all have a great summer! P.S. I apologize for the lengthy post…