Rich's Knees, Writing, and Life

I have made so many wonderful connections over the years through my blog.  I now like to keep you all updated on my "personal life."

Since I started my blog in 2012, I have been through a whole lot of life! Recovering from my now ex-wife's disability. Buying what I call my forever home. Sabbatical. Divorce. My turning 50! My "baby moving" out. My new lover and her children moving in. The start of my own MFA journey.  My coaching practice becoming an increasingly important part of my life and identity. My slipping slowly, and then not so slowly, into disability. I don't walk well anymore- I have to use a cane when I stand for any length of time.

So, now? A new phase of my adventure! I am getting two new knees! On January 5th, I will undergo a double knee replacement. Getting to this point has been emotional, scary, painful. But now, I am ready!! I am ready to walk well again. I am ready to explore the world again. I am ready for High Intensity Interval Training again, cycling, hiking.  I want to dance in Ibiza! I want to scale a volcano again. I just want my body to feel like mine, again. I am so very, very ready. Keep me in your thoughts during those couple of weeks after. But.....I'll Be Back 

And if you need me, if I can help, reach out! I might need that, emotionally, more than you do :)

End of Term Reflection

Too often, when scholars look back upon their academic terms, they only reflect upon their goals. It is more important to explore and deconstruct your processes; optimizing your working habits and tools is what will help you meet your long term goals. Here are a few questions to ask yourself.

1) Is my writing ritual working for me?
2) What thoughts and beliefs continue to impede my work?
3) Am I wasting time on tasks that do not fulfill me and don't help me?
4) What changes do I need to make?
5) Who can help me make these changes?

Cool Podcasts on Writing

Writingexcuses.com has really great podcasts on writing. While the content is mostly for creative writers, there are some valuable recordings that can be inspiring and helpful to scholars.

Writing, With A View

I am at a wonderful coffeehouse in a small town about an hour from Tacoma. My view is a small, calm bay overlooking hills, dotted with trees holding onto the last shades of fall. I am working on an essay. I will stop now to do some grading. I breath, look out over the water. Life is good.

Words from Albert Einstein

While perhaps not the most sensitive of quotes, I believe he might have been speaking, if only a wee bit, to us.

Your Technology Should Meet Your Needs

When assessing your technology use, and its impact on your work/personal life, an important question, is your technology meeting your needs, or are you meeting the "needs" of your technology? Are you considering if your technology use is improving your life, your productivity, your relationships? Does it lead to greater writing productivity? Does it improve your writing? What are the costs and benefits?

It is easy to fetishize the new, the cool and the advanced, but its essential that you critically explore  their impact on your life, your work, your writing and your relationships.

Some self-reflection would serve you well. Take 15 minutes and do a freewrite about this issues.

I Do Not Text

When people tell me they will send me a text, I inform them I don't use that tool, and will not read or respond to them.  I just don't. Ever. Never. Yes, I seem as if I am from an other planet in such moments.

I do not wish to engage the world in that manner. If someone needs me immediately, they can call. However, I am not willing to be on call to 24/7, and text messaging connects us in ways that are far, far to intrusive for my tastes.  If you wish to write to me, send me an email, which encourages at least a moment of thought and reflection

Consider how quickly you respond when you hear your text messaging "go off." How often does it break your concentration, and thus make you work longer and harder? Is it helping you meet your personal and professional goals?

Choose what technologies you use carefully. Own them, or they will own you. Clients who carefully consider their technology use find small changes and be transformative. Simple changes can lead to huge gains in writing, work, and productivity with little loss.

That said, the actual nature of the tools we use define how we use them. Many technologies are designed to be addictive.