GIFTS

Words are Gifts


Having A Plan

I read about the comment challenge and decided to join it. It took me forever to find Lanny’s post. After an email and a short wait, I opened the post and realized we were to comment on sixty posts.

“How was I going to do this?” I worried.

Fortunately, I came up with a plan, I would complete half on Saturday and tackle the other half on Sunday. I started and managed to complete the thirty comments on Saturday.

Reading the posts was extremely enjoyable. I found a few with similar themes but written completely differently, with different approaches, from different perspectives.

I learned a lot of ways I could use some of the ideas to match the genre I would be covering in class. Although taxing, I learned many new words I have never used, some I had read in novels but never used when writing. Saturday was fine, I managed to scatter the commenting throughout the day and had breaks in between. This made it quite enjoyable and easy to complete my plan.

On Sunday however, I had a very packed day; many visits were planned, I had no time to sit and read the comments but I needed to persevere. The delay for me was also because not only did I read the slice and comment but after posting my slice, I would read some of the other comments. I did not want to be influenced and needed to give my meaningful comments without bias.

I visited church, my son at school, my sister, visiting brother, my mother in law and got home late in the evening. At that point I had my thirty comments to complete. I knew I would and could. I read many posts and as I was in the swing or had gained some rhythm, this was getting done. If felt like a lit candle, the wax was melting slowly. My tally marks were like barn fences looking stable and sturdy. It was when I got to the forties that I felt drained. I had many thoughts:

Should I give up now? Can I do this?

Whilst reading posts I was learning, learning from other writers, learning for me and my students. When I got to fifty-two I felt rather proud. I was almost at the end of the road, I kept trotting, till I got to the finish line, panting. It was very late in the night. A wave of achievement swept over me. I did it! I had ‘pushed’ myself, as I was advised in one of the posts during the week. My plan worked!

What triggered this post was after I read and commented on the post by, mschiubookawrites.wordpress.com/2019/03/11/eye-on-the-prize

slice-of-life_individual



8 responses to “Having A Plan”

  1. Your comments are appreciated. I like that you didn’t approach this as a chore but as an opportunity for growth. Thank you for your commitment.

    Liked by 1 person

  2. Great job for pushing through!!! Comments are so fun- giving and receiving

    Liked by 1 person

  3. Wow! That’s a lot of reading, a lot of information to absorb in two days! I could feel the difficulty to complete the task in your post. Kudos for rising to the challenge!

    Liked by 1 person

  4. Congratulations on formulating a plan and seeing it through. Like you, I try not to read previous comments before I make mine so that I am not influenced by what others have said.There is so much to learn and absorb through reading the many varied posts.

    Liked by 1 person

  5. Well done! You have been an inspiration to many through your detailed comments. Ayekoo!

    Liked by 1 person

  6. Your comments matter, especially from one as responsible and ethical as you. And I agree, we learn from this reading and offering of comments.

    Liked by 1 person

  7. You are an amazing woman. Your comments are always so well written and mini-mini slices themselves. They have helped motivate me to keep writing. Although exhausting, it seems like you have learned so much.

    Liked by 1 person

  8. wow! You are touching so many of us! You are an inspiration. I love your metaphor with the candle and the tally marks like a fence. I want to try those. So visual!

    Liked by 1 person

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About Me

I am am Elementary school teacher at an International IB School in Accra, Ghana, West Africa. I write with groups of writers, such as Teach Write.

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