4/24/2014: I was one of the first people in my community to embrace social media. I live in a rural community where 3-5 years ago people were hesitant to use email and certainly would not log on to Signupgenius.com to sign up to help at an event. Any time I needed to get volunteers for a PTA or swim team event I had to grab my phone and start the endless calling as most of my community was not online.
As more and more of my friends join Facebook, I’m a kind of one-person welcome wagon. I lead by example. I set the tone for how a person should act online by posting positive posts and not engaging in gossip mongering. I cannot tell you how many times I have informed friends who post “urban legends” on Facebook to first check the validity and veracity of the post BEFORE posting.
For those not in the “know,” I write about seizing family time one dinner…game night…movie at a time on my blog — Musings from Me on Kids, Preteens, and Teens — and my Facebook page.
But, in my offline community, I am probably the first blogger many of my friends have ever known. I love teaching friends about the power of social media. And I don’t just mean sharing about products and services I have reviewed. I love sharing about causes near and dear to my heart. I love sharing about community service projects on social media or by word of mouth at community gatherings. As an example, once I learned about a local soup kitchen offering a free meal to the homeless, I was eager to tell moms and dads at soccer games about this awesome opportunity for families to help others. My kids, husband, and I regularly setup, serve food, and cleanup at the soup kitchen. It’s a way for our family to bond and for my husband and I to teach our children the importance of giving back.
I’m a member of 3 PTAs.
I’m a sports parent for 3 swim teams.
I’m the Volunteer Coordinator for one of the swim teams.
I’m a helper at Sunday School class.
I’m the mom of a Boy Scout.
I’m the PR Chair of the Boy Scouts.
I’m a supporter of the school orchestra.
And I am ALWAYS telling someone about something online or offline!
4/1/2024: It’s almost 10 years later. Wow! 10 years is centuries in time! I blogged regularly from 2008 through 2017. When I started in 2008, I had a kid, a preteen, and a teen…the reason for my blog in the first place. By 2017, I had 2 teens and a young adult! Crazy how fast time flies…yet I stay the same age…weird, huh?!
Today, I have 3 young adults. I miss the days of musing about kids, preteens, and teens and writing about seizing family time one dinner…game night…movie at a time. These days, my kids are off on their own living their own lives and I have only a glimpse in to their lives…certainly not enough to write about them…their lives are their story not mine.
After 6 years of working outside the home, I’m back at work after a hiatus. Days and days of 9 to 5 working took its toll. I was exhausted and spent. I quit my job in January and didn’t start working again until February. First time I have taken off more than 4 consecutive days at a time. What I realized is that I was exhausted after not taking any time for myself.
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