Friday, November 13, 2009

This is Me Being Insecure

So this week sucked. It was parent-teacher conference week, which for me means I had to spend Monday night making sure I had everything ready for the conferences, Tuesday night actually doing the conferences, Wednesday night making sure I was ready for Thursday's conferences, and Thursday night going through another round of conferences. Because I team teach, I had 56 conferences, each lasting about 10 minutes.

So the blog and writing and reading and family and just about everything else didn't even make it onto the back burner. And I realized how pitifully insecure I am about my standing in the Webosphere. I just logged on and caught up on some of my favorite bloggers and the whole time I'm doing so I'm actually thinking, "Oh man, they're going to be so disappointed. I haven't been commenting and I haven't been blogging anything interesting in like, a month. I've probably lost 10 followers."

Seriously, I'm actually worried about this.

I think it says two things, both of which are embarrassing. First, I obviously have an inflated view of my own contributions to the Blogosphere. My guess is no one really noticed or cared that I wasn't commenting on their blogs. Second, I'm kind of a pathetic loser who is worried about letting down a lot of people I've never even met.

But then again, these same people I've never met have provided hours of entertainment and given me valuable feedback on my writing and have bothered to actually read the garbage I throw up on this blog.

So maybe it's not that pathetic.

20 comments:

Unknown said...

I actually prepared to unfollow on Monday night, then unfollowed on Tuesday morning. On Tuesday evening I joined up again, then on Wednesday night I prepared to unfollow. Finally on Thursday, I unfollowed for the second time in so many days. This morning, since you're back and your head's on straight, I decided to follow. Hopefully this decision will stick.

Tina Laurel Lee said...

I did wonder where you were, checking in and missing you, watching the video over and over, memorizing your office. It's a relief to know that you're concerned, although I didn't even think of unfollowing you. Instead the loser I am, I just checked to see if my reader was working right, wondering if you had perhaps given up on me. And then went back to editing my manuscript, which I should be doing right now.

Glad you made it through your week. Thanks for entertaining me with your blog. As far as I'm concerned your a winner.

Angela said...

I'm thinking 56 10-minute parent teacher conferences in less than one week is enough to make anyone question the strength of grasp on life...

Anita said...

Dude, you don't owe me anything. Just keep writing, keep perspective.

Monica said...

dude, you don't owe me anything either. Besides, those V-Logs (love the Vee sign you make with your fingers, btw) more than made up a week or so's worth of entertainment.

I often wonder if i'm disappointing anyone when i don't comment on their blogs, or update my own. Which i've been negligent about, btw, but i promise to get better.
You rock, PMM. Seriously.

chris said...

You owe me your life!

chris said...

No but seriously I suck. You will get some comments soon. I've been so busy what with having a naked dog and all.

Paul Michael Murphy said...

Aren't all dogs naked? Unless you're one of those people who put funny little shirts on them.

Wendy Sparrow said...

I follow a ton of blogs--and I wondered where you were too. Unfortunately with all the sickness going around, I think we only search for survivors if it's been a little bit longer. You weren't gone long enough for us to really get nervous. ;)

Wow. Fifty-six conferences! That sounds like an awful week. I hope most of the conferences went well. I know, as parents, we get so wrapped up in our own kids that we don't see the bigger picture. I'd never have guessed the bigger picture would be so stressful, though. Fifty six... wow.

Paul Michael Murphy said...

They all went very well, Wendy. Thanks for your concern. About the blogging, I mean.

Unknown said...

PMM - During conferences, how many times a day did you wash your hands? I find that to be the most disgusting part of conferences, other than talking about their disgusting kids. Maybe I'm a freak, I don't know, but it's still pretty gross shaking all those hands.

Lily Cate said...

I did unfollow someone this week, but it wasn't you!

Paul Michael Murphy said...

I only had time to wash my hands when it was all over, but I've become very good at not touching my face while at school.

Wendy Sparrow said...

My daughter's teacher kept a bottle of anti-bacterial stuff in the middle of the table like it was a center-piece and I don't think she shook our hands--actually neither of our kids' teachers did. Our school has been hammered with three major sickness outbreaks already, though.

Paul Greci said...

I used to teach--15 years in an alternative school. The parent-conference week was always crazy. The school district tried all kinds of ways to make it better. They finally settled on 3 full days of school and 2 full days for conferences. That worked well.

And, you didn't disappoint me. I just found your blog!

Paul Greci said...

I used to teach--15 years in an alternative school. The parent-conference week was always crazy. The school district tried all kinds of ways to make it better. They finally settled on 3 full days of school and 2 full days for conferences. That worked well.

And, you didn't disappoint me. I just found your blog!

Anita said...

I've been trying to think of an alternative to handshaking. My best idea so far is a hip bump. I may suggest it at the next PTA meeting.

Wendy Sparrow said...

Fist bump. A mayor in Florida fist-bumped the Dalai Lama not so long ago due to this concern. (According to the mayor--that was the reason.) If you can fist-bump him, you can fist bump parents.

Paul Michael Murphy said...

I fist bump the kids. But fist bumping a parent might come off as me trying to feel younger than I am.

Myra McEntire said...

Whew. I'm glad your life has sucked. I thought it was something I said.

*Whew*

How did I miss a video?!? I think it must've been when I had that double root canal this week. I wish I'd known about it then. It might've dulled the pain.