Saturday, February 11, 2012

Burnout Factor

This is now my 19th post for Hopeful Parents. And while I started in August, 2010 with such enthusiasm and hurrah, I have to say I know I have been running out of steam lately. Two of my last few posts are re-posts from my main blog, The Squashed Bologna. I scramble every 10th to make SOMETHING happen here. I feel bad, but I also know I can only do what I can do.  

I have also noticed that I am not alone, that this site is… less robust than it used to be. Back when I started there was ALWAYS a fresh post every day, and often there were two (as two are scheduled per day). Now it seems to be a mostly every other day sort of thing, and I have spotted three and four day gaps with… nothing. Nothing new. I also get one or two comments where once I had gotten six to ten. (Yeah I notice that stuff, tell me you don't.)

I know that some of my blogging friends who I used to find here have withdrawn, some with announcements that they needed to pull back on their outside commitments, focus on family. Others just seem to have petered out and disappeared. Yet, as far as I know, no new bloggers have come on to replace them. 

I hope that it’s been noticed by the HP powers that be and that plans are afoot to reinvigorate this site. I really love being part of a community like this that is larger than just myself. I like having a place to contribute where other wonderful special needs parents also congregate.

I am hoping that for me this is just my “sophomore slump” (being in my 2nd year of this commitment) and I will have a lot to say again here soon. But if the site itself is fading away, that will be hard to rally myself for. (So let's try not to let that happen, OK?)

Life with my family is not particularly more difficult now, it is just… rolling along at the same old low-grade stress level as usual, that is also somehow never completely relieved. So there is a cumulative fatigue factor, a worn-out quality to everything in my life. Especially me.  

There are, in fact, some wonderful new developments with Jake, as he is reaching out socially more than ever, greeting and starting (not completely inappropriate) conversations with nearly everyone he meets.

And while most people are not used to being approached by an overly friendly, outsize (size 14 clothes, 100+ pounds), puppy-like, bouncing-on-the-balls-of-his-feet 9 year old with a: “Hi! My name is Jacob! You have a hat on! It’s a blue hat! I have an orange hood! What shape are your ears?” They usually gamely play along.

So I’m not really complaining.

I’m just… tired.

Really. really. really. really. tired.  (I’m sure no one else here can relate.)

Comes with the territory, I suppose.

It’s why, for the 2nd month in a row, this post is officially going up on the 11th, even though my “day” is the 10th. Because I walked away from the computer for a few minutes while in the middle of writing it, switched on the TV for a brain-break and promptly fell asleep sitting up. Woke up slumped on the sofa two or so hours later and shuffled back here to finish.

And since I didn’t don my PJs and tuck myself into bed yet, in my mind its still Friday the 10th, even if the clock says otherwise.

So all this said, I am planning to be back again next month. Hopefully on the ACTUAL 10th next time (but no guarantees). And hopefully in good company. Because I love being here, really I do.

 

Varda writes about "birth, death and all the messy stuff in the middle" on her blog "The Squashed Bologna: a slice of life in the sandwich generation"  She also tweets as @Squashedmom. Varda is proud to be a Hopeful Parent.

16 comments:

  1. I am with you Varda, have seen such phenominal writing here on this site.
    How do we get our mojo back?
    I know that for me, hearing peoples perspectives and thoughts about my writing really helps to inspire me to want to write more. I notice that the comments I do receive are usually from fellow writers. While their inputs are hugely important to me, I would also love to hear from our readers as well.
    How do we make this process easier, perhaps less intimidating for folks to comment? Is there a way to tie it in to Facebook, or perhaps add a "like" button, something to let our writers know there are folks out there reading?
    Just some thoughts.....

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  2. Hi Varda: You are one of my favorite writers here because your voice has a bell-like clarity that resonates with me. I hope you overcome your fatigue--. I get bone-weary, too, but it usually goes away, when my son is well and the sky is blue. Someitmes teh fatigue is a comfort because it mutes my emotions and dulls the anguish which sometimes gets to me. Hang in there! We love you.
    Stephanie ps Maybe readers don't post much because it is hard to do--I ahve created many posts only to find tha they will not be accepted due to some unjknown computer error.

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  3. May I just repost your post? I actually thought Sunday was 2/11, so I woke up all early ready to write, when I realized I was late too! Here's to seriously fatiqued, burnt out care providers!
    Kirsten

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  4. I agree! I really feel like this community has some of the best writers when it comes to special needs parenting, but I too find myself scrambling before my date on the 14th. To be fair, I've been slacking on my own blog a bit too. I think it is normal for people to ebb and flow with their writing energy but it does seem like we're all ebbing at the same time!

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  5. I'm reading, please don't stop writing.

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  6. I'm here reading. I don't miss a post. I don't often comment because I don't want to get "annoying" or for people to get tired of seeing me comment on everything. (p.s. I'm tired too. Incredibly tired. Hang in there.)

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  7. I read maybe once a week, but I read everything on here! I don't comment often, but enjoy the writing. I think the Facebook linking might be great. I always click on things other people post links to on FB.

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  8. I love your posts Varda
    The comment form is really terrible here - I wish we did not have word verification
    Nowadays it feels like most posts get very few comments and some get none at all - I feel really bad
    I am going to ask Christina if she could enable the wall of the Facebook page so at least we could post the latest posts there
    I think she must have also become very very very busy

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  9. تجزیه و لیز چربی که معمولاً به عنوان لیپوساکشن شناخته شده یک روش لیپوساکشن غیر تهاجمی برای حذف چربی اضافی به خصوص در ناحیه‌ی پهلو است که بسیار سریع و بدون درد خواهد بود. این روش می‌تواند به طور مؤثر چربی‌های مقاوم در برابر رژیم غذایی یا ورزش را کاهش دهد. همچنین دارای عوارض و اثرات جانبی کمتری نسبت به روش‌های سنتی مانند لیپوساکشن است

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  10. بالون معده یکی از جدیدترین انواع روش‌های کاهش وزن است. بالون معده همانند یک توپ پر از هوا، مایع یا مخلوطی از هر دو به طور موقت درون معده جاگذاری می‌شود. بالون‌های حاوی هوا به دلیل سبک‌تر بودن عوارض کمتری به همراه دارند. بالون سیلیکونی درون معده با نمک استریل پر می‌شود و سپس با محدود کردن فضای درون معده و کاهش مواد غذایی مصرفی به کم شدن وزن کمک می‌کند

    عوارض بالون معده

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  11. خرید کادوی ولنتاین برای خانم ها و آقایان می تواند متقاوت یا شبیه به هم باشد. ولی در بیشتر اوقات کادوی خانم ها زرق و برق زیادتری دارد و کادوی آقایان هم مخصوص تر است. اگر شما هم تا به حال هدیه و کادویی برای این روز نخریده اید و یا مانده اید که چه کادویی بخرید ما به شما کمک می کنیم تا در این باره تصمیم بگیرید.

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  12. Very good article thanks for sharing.I visit this website every day.
    بیوگرافی

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  13. شرکت سورنا وارد کننده قوطی پلاستیکی واردکننده ظروف دارویی مختلف و تأمین کننده آن در سرتاسر ایران می باشد. ظروفی مانند تیوپ ها و ظرف با درب چایلدپروف

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