24 Days of Blogging Day 23: Christmas comes but once a year

Well, it’s here already, the penultimate day of the 24 day challenge.  Traditionally through the past five years, I have used this day to reflect on the process, and then use the final day for my Christmas wish for the world (haven’t figured that one out yet…hoping for good inspiration tonight).  This month has gone very quickly…as month tend to do.

If I had to pick one word for this year’s entries, I think it would be personal. I know there have been a few people who have read and commented on some of the pieces, but by and large I feel that I’ve been writing for myself more than any year before.  There have been a few great pieces where I have opened up something that felt real and explored it just a little bit.  I spent two days talking about putting a playlist together, for goodness sake.

I barely wrote about education or technology this year.  I think this reflects the change in my job.  I think that with a new job I might be talking about very different things a year from now.  I’m starting to think that I have mined every weird Christmas tradition that there is, so I’m either going to have to leave that behind, or figure a new way to approach the same things (I could write about Victorian Christmas cards every day of the year!)

I think I focused on a slightly different audience this year.  Though I know a few readers have stuck with this yearly course, I know that a few people have joined for just the last few years.  Some days it is very disappointing that I felt I didn’t have anything to say that was worthwhile for anyone(though this year I didn’t have any skips…unless you count that day that I only posted a picture of my Christmas tree).  As I have said many times. I would write this even if no one read it, but I am grateful for the people who do. Susie, William, Jennifer, Don, Will, Michele, and everyone else who reads daily, I think about you every time I start, and to the extent that any of these are good, I dedicate them to you.

Another feeling I have looking back were the number of posts that were probably undeveloped.  I wrote late most days this year, and often the need for sleep overwhelmed the need to fully plumb an idea.  I might have to come back to a few of these ideas next year.

Last year I was feeling tapped out and truly wondered whether I wanted to keep this going another year.  I don’t feel that same weariness this year.  I think the next year is going to give me a million things to think and write about, and I’m looking forward to another opportunity to share them with you.

Now, if I can just figure out a Christmas wish!

As always, I welcome you comments.

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