Blog Surfing (and taking a detour)

I can spend hours blog surfing. Some days I start with the tried and true; those belonging to friends and acquaintances. Others I start with my own and hit the "Next Blog" button. It's interesting to see what comes up. I see lots of families. Sometimes I get to practice my foreign language reading skills.

I guess what really strikes me is that some people write so elegantly, others insightfully. And I can help but find some of my offerings rather staid. Or bland. Mediocre? I'm sure there are many other synonyms I could add to the list, but that would be redundant. Then I start to think about why I blog. On the days I don't have anything witty to add, I wonder why I bother. Sounds so melodramatic and egocentric, doesn't it?

But in January I tend to be melodramatic and egocentric. It's the way of the universe. I'll be back to normal (or as normal as I get) sometime next month...or maybe the following month.

And then there are times when I have the intention of focusing on one moment or thought, and the stream that comes shooting out the ends of my fingertips takes a completely different turn.

For instance, that last sentences reminds me that many schools don't teach kids to type anymore. What, do they think that super fast texting skills make up for it? Wrong! And don't even get me started on the subject of handwriting. I know mine is not very pretty, but at least it's legible. We spent hours in 2nd grade making sure of that. And math skills. Rote memory is not all bad. All high school students should know the multiplication chart! And why do I have to teach fractions to high school students? I had to learn those suckers in 3rd grade.

See...off track and not terribly witty. Oh well. It's late and I'm going to bed so I can teach fractions again tomorrow, and decipher handwriting, and hope that kids will relearn how to type. And maybe when I get home I'll find a blog gem.