NaBloPoMo (Photo credit: cizauskas)
The other day I was checking out my statistics on the WordPress dashboard, trying to figure out why my readership has doubled, beginning 3 weeks ago.
I began to think that maybe it was because I was trying to write shorter posts, or that I’ve been trying to put a little more effort into editing them which I’m sure you all know is not an easy task when the time you set aside to write and edit the posts is between 11-3 in the morning. Like this post, for example, I’m doing my 4th re-write and each time I save it I am sure that it is fantastic and ready to be posted but upon further inspection, the draft was terrible and this one might be too. LOL. #ZombieDad.
So, after shaking that nonsense out of my head I kept looking and noticed that here I was on November 12th and I have actually posted a fresh, new post each and every day so far this month.
How did that happen?
It is convenient, mind you that for the first time ever I have completed a post-a-day and it is November because every November in the blogosphere there is a challenge known for “NaBloPoMo”. NaBloPoMo stands for “National Blogging Post Month and during the month of November the challenge is to publish a post a day. I have never taken up the challenge, or even considered that kind of obligation to be honest. I’m in a long-term relationship already. It’s called marriage. Oh, and being a dad, son, brother, friend, employee, volunteer… Whew. Blogging every day for the sake of typing “NaBloPoMo” in an article just never appealed to me.
But here I am. Almost 1/2 way through this challenge and now my competitive juices are starting to kick in. I think I want to try to do it. I don’t think I will, to be honest, but I’m going to give it a shot. How hard can it be now? I just need 18 more posts for the month that are meaningful, tied to the theme of my blog and longer than a sentence.
Crap.
I’ll never complete this.
Heck, seeing that the first 12 days are covered in the calendar on the right side of my blog is cool enough already. So what if the rest of the month is blank…
Thank goodness for the WordPress Daily prompt… http://dailypost.wordpress.com/category/daily-prompts/. One of the first prompts I found there was a challenge to write a letter to yourself as if you were a 14-year-old boy. Whew. That would be a very short post for me. When I was 14-years-old, I was a yucky, smelly boy who loved sports. My message would be something like this;
“Hi. 14-year-old boy. No body likes boys who don’t shower. Go shower. And take off your baseball hat sometimes, but your yucky hair, quit eating junky food and if you cannot figure out that light-blue rugby pants from the Sears catalogue are not going to make you popular, just fill your closet with blue jeans and black t-shirts. That’s it. Blend in a little more and stay clean. Oh, and sign up for a baseball team, dumb ass. If you’re already throwing a baseball in the high-70′s, low-80′s with pinpoint accuracy, and being left-handed, you might actually be able to make something of yourself in the game instead of being 41 and wondering what if.”
Hey, that was fun!
Are you doing NaBloPoMo? Why or why not?
…and what advice would you give the 14-year-old you?
Related articles
- Half-Way Through, NaBloPoMo Update (withywindlenature.com)
- NaBloPoMo is here! Need some inspiration? (en.blog.wordpress.com)
- I’m Doing What Now? NaBloPoMo. (withoutsushi.com)
Well you learn something new everyday. I’d never heard of the NaBloPoMo before, or read about the daily prompts (so thank you for that) I’ve now signed up for the prompts
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What would I tell 14 year old me? Mmmm you are a likeable person, and not everyone is after something, and yes it is ok to have your own ideas.
Good advice. I gather there was some hesitation back when you were 14 about being yourself… I take it you’ve sorted all that out by now.
Yes thank you I have. But I believe there are still days when people forget to be true to themselves. Have a good week