Reviewing the Situation

Today marks the two-week anniversary of Miracle on 32nd Street’s premiere on WordPress.com.  It certainly has been a whirlwind trip so far, beginning with just a hunch and an epiphany…a hypothesis that maybe, just maybe, random acts of kindness could still foster and encourage a true Christmas spirit within myself and in the lives of those I come into contact with.

Two weeks ago, I made a promise to myself to attempt one “random act of Christmas” each day…an idea that turned into an acronym (RACs)…an acronym that that led to a blog…and a blog that has seemingly meant something, no matter how small, to my faithful readers throughout the past two weeks.  I’ve gone through the thrills of peaking at 94 views on Friday, having a fellow blogger mention me in her own authored post, and developing a rapport between the devoted commenters who have posted/viewed here almost every day.  I’ve also struggled through lows as well…wondering if my words reach anyone, if this will all be for naught, if my actions mean anything, and if I can keep this up despite the ordinary, day-to-day personal issues that consume our time and energy.

When in doubt, The Mom always used to say “Make a chart of pros and cons…write it out…and see for yourself.”  Tonight, I made a mental “T-Chart” of the supposed pros and cons I’ve fumbled through, and I’m glad to report that the cons don’t stand a chance amidst such a strong bevy of pros.

• After beginning this blog, I’ve experienced an odd number of good things happening to me.  Random, felicitous moments have started appearing in my life since I began devoting more time to others than myself.
  • These include:  losing my apartment key, but finding an open window to crawl through AND an extra set of keys inside…getting a disc jammed in my car CD player AND then getting it unstuck before I called my dealership…receiving an unexpected restaurant gift certificate from a voice student…landing a lead role in a community musical production of Joseph…getting through 2 huge tests for school which had previously been deemed “horrific”…having a Little Caesar’s Hot-N-Ready delivered to me from a friend who knew I’d have no time to eat…gaining new friendships…finding more kindnesses in my life from the people I interact with every day, etc, etc, etc…
• Because I’ve forced myself to move beyond the sphere of “Me, Me, Me”, my own problems have lifted, too.  Suddenly, the inconsequential worries that would gnaw at us, day in and day out, don’t seem quite so intimidating.  Turtles driving in rush hour traffic?  Deadlines looming like snow clouds in the sky?  Students needing attitudinal interventions?   No problem!  In fact, I’m beginning to place an emphasis on recognizing the bright spots in my day rather than the bad.
• The “art of blogging” is wonderfully reciprocal.  To welcome readers to your site, you must also be willing to do some humble web surfing of your own.  Quid pro quo doesn’t exactly carry through in all cases…but for the most part, if you’re willing to read, review, and comment on a stranger’s blog, they will turn around and do the same for you.  You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours.
• I’ve found a new and exciting hobby that has created a tenacious spirit within me.  I care about this blog.  I want it to succeed.  I truly wish to dedicate myself to its maintenance every day.  This site has fostered a new sort of energy within myself that I didn’t even know existed.
  • It’s like when you’re little and discover you can throw a baseball (I was a big tomboy, okay?!?).  You are so damn excited that a small woven sphere can leave your hands and travel to another person, who will, in return, throw it back to you.  The joy of playing catch compels you to work on your throwing accuracy, speed, and technique.  Soon you’re wearing a real leather glove, standing 20 feet away from Dad, and practicing your pitching stance.  You progress because you care. You care because the activity initiates excitement in your heart.  And the excitement drives you to do great things.
• The “art of blogging” is also devilishly addictive.  Why, you ask?
  • You begin to check your comments, site stats, “likes”, “followers”, and subscriptions more often than Heidi Montag gets plastic surgery.
  • Your “Refresh” button on your computer becomes dull, faded, and inevitably broken due to misuse.
  • You refuse to eat/sleep/drink/shower/breathe/marry/bear children until you have received a “Freshly Pressed” status from WordPress.com.
  • You’ve downloaded a WordPress.com app for your Droid and have asked it (nicely) to remind you of new comments every 5 minutes.
  • Your life and mood are solely based off those peaks and valleys in your “Site Stats” bar graph.
• Bloggers take care of their own.  Appreciation and gratitude are shown daily throughout the Blog-O-Sphere:  when a post is deserving of praise or recognition, honest readers will deliver a genuine “shout-out” in blogs of their own.  I have not faced one negative comment (on my page or others) in all of my travels so far.

So, what’s the verdict?

"You probably can't tolerate honesty!"

I can honestly say, without any hesitation, that this blog has made an extremely positive and necessary change in my life.  I wholeheartedly believe in this project now, and I’ve witnessed first-hand what Random Acts of Christmas can do to lift my own spirits, along with the few I’ve interacted with along the way.  I’ve conversed with some tremendous minds on Word Press who have brought a bit of light to me every day, and it’s a wonderful feeling to know you are a part of something that brings people together worldwide.  This project has helped me remember why I love writing, and has encouraged me to pursue an interest which is slowly becoming a hobby.  The smallest, unassuming events in my day are suddenly humorous anecdotes, and I find my pulse quickening as I ponder how to incorporate them into my blog.  My life has a new passion…a new love.  And, like “love at first sight,” you fall in love without hesitation, and completely give in.

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