Reflections On NaBloPoMo

1) I've enjoyed participating in this, albeit in a (what I consider) peripheral manner. By that I mean that while I have visited other NaBloPoMo blogs, and have read some very good stuff that I would not have seen were it not for NaBloPoMo, I haven't really engaged with those newly found blogs. Nor have I added any of my posts to the NaBloPoMo site, as quite a few of the participants have. My own failings at work there.

2) Believe it or not, I have found the whole thing somewhat limiting. Let me explain. I started this blog back in March of this year, and I'm still working to find my niche. Occasionally I have deep thoughts and I try to write about them. But, in my opinion, way too many of my posts have been fluff and (hopefully) somewhat humorous. Still, I have managed to average, over the life of the blog, an average of just under one post a day. Which is somewhat surprising to me.

So, how do I feel the NaBloPoMo has limited me? The idea that I have to post (at least) one a day has kept me from delving into some of the ideas I've had - because they would be time-consuming and might make me miss a day. Also, I have put off more than one post simply out of fear that the next day I might not come up with something to say, and would need to use it then.

[As an aside, I hope that people got the intended humor in my post "This Non-Post Has No Title", wherein I wrote 375 words to say that I had nothing to say.] Never mind.

3) My loony bun is fine Benny Lava. [sorry, PD, I just can't help myself!]

4) In reference to Reflection #2, I find the intimidation of a daily requirement somewhat surprising. During a recent chat with a friend (you know who you are!), we were discussing the whole working under a deadline thing - not with reference to NaBloPoMo - and I mentioned to said friend that I really thrive under those conditions, and ever since my early school days, when I discovered that papers I wrote on the bus on the way to school the day they were due ended up with better grades than papers I actually spent time composing, I have pretty much used that as a guiding principle. Not just in writing, but in a lot of things. And have been labled[sic] as lazy because of it.

The point here is, I don't understand why I would feel intimidated, because I know that I can come up with something - always.

5) I've always felt like an outsider, and I sometimes have difficulty participating in group things, so NaBloPoMo has helped me to become more "civilized" - no word yet as to whether that's a good thing.

6) There is no Reflection 6.

7) Will I participate next year when this rolls around? I guess you'll just have to stay tuned to find that out.