Places Worth Visting

No, not real places (I haven't been anywhere new for a while). I'm talking about bloggy places.

Thanks to a friend from work, I have found two hilarious blogs that I read on a daily (or almost daily) basis. I find them therapeutic and fun and on some days they help give me that extra boost I need to keep going.

The first is Hobo Teacher. This blog is maintained by two different teachers. In it they discuss (with wit, sarcasm and other various methods) they day to day oddities that happen in their school, classroom or district. Some days it's about an email they received. Others its about a student situation. The funniest part is that some days I swear they work where I work or they are in my head in some way because I can relate to so much that they are saying. Anyone who is in education will appreciate the daily struggles of these teachers. Even those who have never set foot in a classroom can get some insight into what its like to deal with students, administrators, parents and (sometimes) other teachers.

The second is Cake Wrecks, which recently won "Best Humor Blog." This site posts hilarious, hideous and down-right scary professional cakes. There are wedding cakes, birthday cakes, graduation cakes...you name it. The site is worth a look for the writing alone. Jen has a great ability to convey her opinions and comments in a very original way. Her commentary is almost better than the wrecks themselves. And on Sunday she takes a break from posting the wrecks and she has a "Sunday Sweets" installment, where she posts really great cakes. Some too detailed and realistic to believe, but they are all real.

If you have a minute or need a laugh, cruise on through. They are worth the five (or fifty) minutes that you may spend reading.

The Funk

I've got the funk. And not in the "let us in we'll tear this mother out" Parliament way.

I don't know what it is. The things that used to bring me joy aren't doing it for me right now. I don't read like I used to. I don't listen to music like I used to. I don't pick up random hobbies for no reason like I used to. I don't even enjoy my job like I used to.

Funk.

And I find it funny that I am blogging about it. Not because I am shy about the Funk...I'll admit to everyone that I have it. I think it's funny because, let's face it, no one really cares about anyone else's problems and here I am blogging about mine.

Which leads me to something else.

I remember when your life was your life. You lived it, made decisions, and kept your thoughts and feelings and secrets to yourself or wrote them in that diary that you kept hidden in the most obvious place in your bedroom. Now we put our lives, our problems and (some people) our secrets out into cyberspace where all can see, read, laugh at or spread them like wildfire.

When did this happen? When did we become such an egocentric society that we actually think that random strangers want to know what we did today? What we ate today? What we watched today? I am baffled.

And yet...I blog. I read other blogs. I am intrigued by the thoughts, ideas and troubles of others. I find myself drawn into their stories and I feel that some of those people are my friends...but we've never met, talked or even casually emailed. I care what happens to them. I worry when they say bad things have happened and I celebrate with them when things go well.

Maybe blogging has made all of us less shy about what we say. Maybe it gives some of us an outlet. Maybe for some of us it gives us a chance to be the person we don't have the strength, courage or gumption to be in real life. Maybe some have a hard time being hear, so they blog. Others may have just been looking for something to fill the time. Whatever the reason...we blog.

I started blogging as a way to voice my opinion on issues...big, small, ridiculous. I didn't (and still don't) care who read it or not. I really was looking for an outlet...something that could help me get everything out without unloading on the same people I unload on all the time. My friends and family are great, but they can only listen to me rant about how messed up I think some things are. Is it great when I can hear what someone else has to say about my latest rant? Sure. But I think it feels even better to get it out there.

Even if I am the only one to read it.