It has been 1230 days (according to Google) since I last posted on this site. It was a Friday in early May of 2021 apparently. I cannot remember anything of it, if I am honest, it is lost in the mists of pandemic affected hazy memory. I have not begun again in order to be morose though, instead I have decided to try to post again for myself, more than anything. In the time since I last posted I lost colleagues, I learned quite a bit about myself, the country in which I live (the UK) has been through turbulent times and across the world we all tried to drag ourselves into a ‘post-COVID’ new normal, whatever that may be.
I used to blog. I used to write observations about academic life. I used to try to share my work, other people’s work. I used to (sometimes) feel a part of something. Perhaps one of the things I learned in trying to come to terms with the death of Clive Barnett, perhaps the biggest influence on my professional life so far, is that you kind of have to make that belonging. Blogs are ‘old’. Who blogs?! Well, I guess I do. Again (for now).
I am under no illusions, I think – I don’t expect to suddenly write every day, or even every week, perhaps. I am going to start out with trying to write once a week, if I can. I am going to trial a return to the “work note” format I began back in 2018 (apparently) and perhaps share some things that may be interesting.
Hi Sam,
It’s not easy, as I well know. I start to blog again and I feel so good about it, I get lovely comments from readers, I pick up a new subscriber or two. I promise myself I’ll blog every week/two weeks/month. Then months go by and I do nothing. It’s not for lack of ideas – I’m brimming with those. It’s putting it always on the back burner, prioritizing other things.
So, the best of luck and I look forward to reading your (semi) regular musings.
Martina
Thanks Martina, so lovely to hear from you! I think, at least for now, this is something that I feel good about doing and it’s not an obligation. If it becomes that way I may well reconsider… writing is such an emotive subject for so many of us. Especially when ‘judgement’ and peer review is involved. I’m keen to just find other ways to get out of my own head I think, haha