Managing Expectations

So, here I am in paradise; a least my version of it. Sun, beach, good food, sleeping in, spending much needed time with my husband. Clearly everyone has their own version of the perfect vacation.

What is the best way to manage the expectations of people of differing ages, interests, and ideas of why we are on this trip without killing someone's buzz? It is Spring Break and many other families had the same idea we did: to travel to Florida. The crowded airports, delayed flights, lines at the restaurants, lack of chairs at the pool, to me they all go along with the territory.

As families grow older, do most families become more alike or are they more diverse given their own daily lives? Do they plan a family vacation in hopes of reconnecting or recreating some idyllic events of the past while creating "perfect" moments for reminiscing in the future? The reality I see and hear is parents yelling at their young kids, kids whining and crying about being hungry or tired or bored, and people just generally being miserable. Luckily for me, my family vacation has not included any of this, but I wish we had "sat down" and learned what this vacation was all about. It seems as though we all differ as to "why we are here" and what each of us hopes to get out of this week together.

Some families spend most all of their time together; even once they are grown. Some even choose to have few friends because their siblings are enough. Is there something wrong when a family doesn't vacation together often? Is it just to hard to manage all the expectations?

I think I finally "get it"!

If you read my first posting, those many months ago, I wonder what all the fuss is about reading other people's blogs. Are others really that voyeuristic? Do people really want to know that much about the mundane lives of their fellow man/woman? This notion of mine came from a naive view of the nature of blogs and blogging. After some reading, attending some workshops, and reading some blogs, I finally see the importance and addiction of blog reading.

Blogging, I have come to understand, is more than merely a public journal or diary of one's life. While that certainly can be the case as my attempts at blogging have shown, to limit it to that one purpose is really selling it short. Blogging is a way to connect your ideas/knowledge/area of expertise with the world. While some ideas may not be of interest or may directly conflict with my own, the ideas are there for those who do find them of interest.

Currently, I subscribe to 11 blogs that I read daily. Most fall into the educational technology genre since that not only is a personal interest, it is also my job. On a daily basis I am connected to the thoughts of some of the preeminent thinkers (and luckily bloggers) on the subject. I also read the blogs of some "average Joes" like myself who share my interest in ed. tech. Some of these people are accessible other ways as conference speakers, book authors, or through web sites that bear their names. However, without blogs, I would never know about the PowerPoint projects of a 7th grade class in Massachusetts. While this many not hold mass appeal, it gave me a great idea for a project of my own.

Blogs are a way of creating personalized learning communities; no matter what your interest. The world really is flat. While I have become a blog junkie, I am still wondering if there is anything I have to say that is of interest to others. What do I want to contribute to this blogging community that is giving me so much?