What's the Worst that Could Happen?

Fun book, terrible movie.

So it happened. I missed a day in the #MTBoS30 challenge. Yeah, I had a Tumblr post, but that doesn't count, right? Because ... well, I guess I made up some rules and that's one of them. For an okay reason, maybe. I post to Tumblr regularly, but this blog has fewer entries every year. Why do the number of entries matter? On the one hand, they don't. On the other hand, I know that this blog has been important for connecting to people I love and with whom love to work, and it's been an important tool for reflection. I ask my students to write for reflection, so I should be doing it, too.

Is missing a day a reason to stop? Obviously not. But... it feels like it? What is this secret perfectionist hiding inside of me that tells me to stop #MTBoS30 because it's damaged somehow.

It's when I hear that kind of thinking that it really makes me stop and wonder where else am I doing that?

For teaching, did I give up on something I was trying to do (better or feedback, more individualized support, reworked activities, notes about what I tried) because I was inconsistent or had an off day? Or because I tried and it didn't work? Why would I expect something new I tried to work the first time?

For parenting, shoosh. Currently I'm loosing it at least once a day with one of the kids. But today, I'm going to try it again. I can be calm and discuss things, I can. Tomorrow I will start again, despite the zero consecutive successful days.

So I'm blogging again today, one short of a dozen.

In Donald Westlake's Dortmunder books, the not quite small time crook asks 'What's the Worst That Could Happen?' because of a deep and abiding belief that this is exactly what will happen. But it doesn't stop him trying the heist. Because you have to make a living, right? In a way, it makes him a better crook, because he plans contingencies, and keeps calm when things go wrong.

Wrong Hands

I hope you give it a go, whatever you want to try. What's the worst that could happen?