How FACEBOOK Helped Me Beat WRITER'S BLOCK

Writer's Block.

These two words have had control over my ability to write recently.

It's not like my life has been lacking in interesting events and situations that would make for great blog content. I have been a bit all-consumed with my classes and work...but there has also been some time for fun, time to try new things, and time to continue to grow my "Rolodex" of experiences and stories.

So why have I been unable to write?

I guess one never really knows why or how they slip into a pattern of Writer's Block. What people remember more is what snapped them out of their funk and inspired them to start writing again.

My moment of clarity came to me this morning.  And when I say this morning, I mean EARLY this morning.  For some reason I was suffering from a bout of insomnia.  After lying in bed trying to get back to sleep, I opted to turn on my computer and log into Facebook (I am obsessed after all). 

Though the details are irrelevant, after "playing" on my FB I came across some information that sent daggers into my heart (yes, I'm aware I'm being a bit dramatic) and set a fire in me.  Some of my friends suggested that I use that flame for a confrontation. Not being one who enjoys unneeded drama, I opted to use the fire burning in my soul as fuel to motivate me to get back to writing. The nudge from my friend and fellow-blogger Steph (check out her blog here) was also helpful (THANKS GIRL!!!). 

While I have nothing too profound to say at the moment, I see this just as my warm-up for a marathon of blogging that is on its way.  You see I am officially on Spring Break, which is just another perk of working for the school district (click here to read about some of the other perks). For the next week or so I will have ample time to fill all of you loyal readers in on the roller coaster that I call my life. 

Those who know me, know that I'm a "glass half full" kind of girl.  I'm also a huge fan of the Yiddish (Jewish?) saying, "What seems like a blessing may be a curse.  What seems like a curse, may be a blessing."

In this case I'm thankful for that anonymous Facebook friend for making the choice they did.  It has allowed me to wake up, open my eyes, and rejuvenate me to get back to what I'm focused on and passionate about...my writing.

And with that....my writer's block is no more!

If I Only Had More Time....

After a LONG hiatus from my writing, I am making my return.

This past month or so has been beyond crazy and busy.  I find myself wondering at the end of each day, where all my time went.  I feel like my head won't stop spinning.  I'm finding that I am barely able to tread water enough to keep my head from sinking. Should I add another analogy here?  Or did I make my point?



I am the busiest (and honestly the happiest) I've been in a long time.  I am however finding it difficult to get everything I want to done in a day (or even a week) and struggle with maintaining my obligations, relationships, friendships, and social calendar.  

I feel as if I'm being pulled in a million different directions.  I can't seem to make everyone happy.  Hell, it sometimes seems as if I'm disappointing people daily. 

I've come to the realization though, that I will never make everyone happy at the same time.  As long as I'm doing the best I can do each day, and I'm happy, that's all that matters at the moment.  If my friends, family, coworkers, and other people that I come in contact with don't understand this, then c'est la vie.  This is MY life...and I will live it the way I see fit.


Time Management is DIFFICULT when you need MORE TIME!



So with all of that said, I have created a list of the things I have neglected and wish I had more time to do:

Sarah's "If I Only Had More Time" List



 Get back to blogging everyday.

Stay in better communication with my family.

See my family (esp the ones who live in town) more often.

Tackle my mountain of books that I have accumulated over the last year or so...I MISS PLEASURE READING!

Study more!  Need. To. Get. Myself. GRADUATED!

Spread my time more evenly between my friends...I miss spending time with my Besties.

 Pre-plan my meals and cook dinner every night (or at least most nights).

Get to the gym at least 5 times a week.

Keep my room clean, and my laundry folded/hung up.

 Love my kitty more...I think she's upset that I don't have as much time to give her.

Get AHEAD with my work so I'm not always rushing to keep up or playing catch-up.

Try something new...LIKE ROLLER DERBY!

Clean my garage.

Winterize my poor little backyard.

Purge my closets and donate some clothes (or more realistically BAGS of clothes) to charity.

Now that this list is created, will I be able to tackle some of the items on it?

They say that if you put an idea to paper there is a better chance it will get done.

I guess only time will tell....

 

I'm Back!!!

Well, it has happened.  I hate to say it, but life has finally caught up to me!  Between class in the mornings, work in the afternoons, and an active social life....my dear blog has been neglected.

School is good, but I have so much reading that I have to admit it's kicking my ass a bit.  I am LOVING my new job and feel very blessed to have such great co-workers, amazing staff at my middle school, and a fun group of teens to work with everyday. And my social life? I have found that I don't have as much time to play as I did when I was "enjoying" my FUNemployment, but my social agenda is just as "interesting" as ever (my best friends can attest to that). 

The one thing that I have not made any time for is this blog.  I am actually disappointed that I haven't written anything since LAST Tuesday. There has been several times that I have turned on my computer, read my Huffington Post, and then fallen asleep before I had a chance to write a damn thing. 

BOO ON ME!!!

Is it sick to admit that I was actually going through a bit of withdrawals from blogging?  I have really begun to enjoy writing this little thing and I feel like a piece of me has been missing since I haven't been on here.  It is nice to be back.

To my loyal readers, I'm sorry to leave you hanging for the last week.  I'm a work in progress (as is this blog) and I will make a valiant effort to not let this amount of time lapse between entries again. As my blog is called "Bear-ing It All", I also hope that you all BEAR with me! 

My next blog is an interesting one (or at least I hope it is perceived that way).  And actually, after you read my next post, please comment!  I would love to hear your opinions.

So until then my dear ones....

Home Means Nevada



Go Pack!


As football season gets into full swing, the debate of what we call the university in my city begins again.  It seems like there are many opinions when it comes the long running debate of Nevada vs UNR.

I have lived in Reno almost my whole life (I moved here when I was three from New York).  My dad is a professor at the university and I grew up calling it UNR (University of Nevada, Reno).  It was always the North had UNR and the South had UNLV.  As I got older, I realized that when I told people outside of Reno (or Nevada)  most didn't know what the "R" in UNR stood for.  Over the years I have begun to just call it Nevada, or University of Nevada.  When I refer to sports teams, I call them The Pack. 

Apparently there is a good deal of history surrounding the Nevada vs UNR debate.

The Reno school was the state's sole university and carried the name of University of Nevada through most its first century. Then the southern campus, which had been Nevada Southern was renamed the University of Nevada Las Vegas, UNLV. When that happened the Board of Regents renamed the older school, the University of Nevada, Reno.  It remains this way legally and officially still. 

Things get a bit more difficult though when it comes to the sports teams. UNLV joined an exclusive list of schools well known nationally, like UCLA and BYU, by their acronyms alone. That didn't happen with UNR, so in the early 90's there was a big push to take solitary claim over the Nevada title.  For the most part the efforts have been a success. 

The football team has Nevada written on their uniforms and Football Coach Ault calls us Nevada or the Nevada Wolf Pack.  The sweatshirts and t-shirts that I own say Wolf Pack, Pack, Nevada, or University of Nevada.  No Reno anywhere on it.

So this makes me wonder....what does everyone else think about this?  Is it Nevada?  Or is it UNR? What  I do know is that we wear our silver and blue proudly up North.  Get ready for a wave of blue next week UNLV, we're ready to defend our title!!!

In Remembrance

I remember where I was when I found out about the heartbreaking devastation on 9/11/01

It was my freshman year of college and I was living in the dorms.  It was a Tuesday, which meant my first class was Journalism. I remember my day starting off no different than any of the previous.  I didn't have a TV at the time so my morning shower was accompanied by the sounds of  Usher's "U Remind Me" and Alicia Key's "Fallin'".  As I rushed out the door and headed down the hall, I noticed an unusually large group of students gathered around the big-screen TV in the communal lounge. I stopped to see what was going on and remember being in complete disbelief at the news.  By that time the Towers had already fallen, and a plane sat in the fortress of the Pentagon.  The news continued to replay the footage of the tragic events that had unfolded in front of the nation's eyes.  I remember feeling like I had been punched in the gut as I saw the second plane pummel into the second Tower.  I also remember the feeling of tears falling (unconsciously) down my face.  The rest of my day was a blur. Journalism was canceled, and the rest of my classes consisted of either watching the news or open conversations about the morning's events. I remember a sense of community on campus that I hadn't yet experienced in my first three weeks, as we all sat in the Student Union glued to the TV.  I remember feeling my heart break as the magnitude of the devastation unfolded, but I also remember feeling a sense of pride (and a real awareness) of being an American and what all of our freedom meant.

Today marks the 9th Anniversary of 9-11

Nine years? How has it been nine years? Some days this all seems like a distant memory, while on others it feels like it happened just yesterday.  It boggles my mind that there is now a whole generation of children who will only know a "post 9-11" world.  I have had students  that only know about the significance of today's date through their history books and stories others have told them.  They will never be able to answer the question, "Where were you when the Towers fell?"

As I watched the news this morning, I noticed tears on my cheeks once again.  Hearing the names called of the 2,966 people who lost their lives so tragically broke my heart all over again. And again, I was reminded of all of the reasons why I love being an American. We often take our freedom and rights for granted.  I know how easy it is to forget those who struggle all around the world.  Politics (and the state of our economy) aside there is no better country in the world then the United States.  God Bless America and Bless all those affected by the tragedy of 9/11/01.

WE WILL NEVER FORGET