Time Management, Connections, Ramblings

How do I spend my time these days?  Where do the hours go?  I am looking at finding the connections that all of us need through new resources, at least new for me.  I prefer to stay at home and that suits my introvert personality.  In addition, I never know from day to day just how I will be feeling, on both physical and emotional levels (and of course the two are tied together).  Today, for instance, I woke up feeling wretched with my usual sinus headache and digestive woes.  I've learned that if I just move slowly and take my time, I can generally sort through things and at least get them down to a dull roar, and sure enough, I am feeling much better now by mid-day, and the various aches and pains have subsided to a more reasonable level. 


This state of affairs makes it difficult for me to promise to be anywhere or do anything on a day in the future, especially morning activities.  But I can't become a complete recluse.  Living alone has its advantages (well, not alone as I have 5 wonderful fur companions), and I can order my days pretty much as I want or feel up to, but I want human connections as well.


To that end, I've found the internet a real boon.  I now have blogs--three of them as of yesterday with the addition of my new Tanka Diary site (link at the top of this page), where I can write various things from the ramblings I do on this page to poetry on my haiku page to now daily journal entries on my Tanka Diary page.  In addition, I have a Facebook page where I follow the activities of friends and post a haiku or more per day on the haiku Facebook page.  And finally, the biggest segment of this as well as the most time-consuming, I am on Twitter.


I joined Twitter so that I could see and reply to posts from my son, Eric, since he uses Twitter.  But then I soon found that I was following poets on Twitter and really enjoying it!  I have lots of new friends on Twitter and I spend a good portion of my days trying to keep up with all the posts.  I'm not sure I've found the most efficient ways to do this, but I have discovered lists and so I have those I follow categorized (ok, I am a librarian after all).  In addition, I've discovered that there are several poetry games available, so that for instance, when I'm done getting this post completed I'm going to try to come up with a poem using the words gamine and epicene!


And I get to chat with people and share with people all over the world.  I discovered last night that a couple people I follow were getting up and ready for their days as I was going to bed.  I know--this is perfectly reasonable given the size of the world, but I've never known people living in other parts of the world and now I do.  This was brought home most poignantly after the earthquakes and tsunami in first New Zealand and then Japan!  And I'm really enjoying the diverse perspectives as well.


Finally, I think, I am taking some on-line classes, the current one being Eastern Theraputic Writing at a wonderful site, Writing Our Way Home, and I'm getting to know people there.  It takes time to read all the posts and try to follow the various threads (yes, I'm on several sites which I find a bit confusing so there is a learning curve here as well), comment on them, write my own assignment, etc.


Oh, yes, there is another, as I'm going to try being more active on a poetry site called Poetry Here and Now, another of the ones I find a bit confusing to keep up with, but hey, I need to learn the more modern ways, and certainly without all my internet connections I would be missing out on a ton of connections which are becoming really important to me.


The beauty of all the above avenues for connections is that I can do them in my own timeframe and at my own speed.  I haven't yet caught up with my twitter stream, but that is next on the agenda (well after the poem using gamine and epicene).  Sometimes, if I have to be out and about with appointments etc. I can get behind, but that's ok also.  And there is always someone to chat with, which is wonderful.


But at the end of the day, what have I done?  Is it ok?  Am I just wasting time on the computer?  Well, as my therapist keeps asking, did I enjoy it?  Was I having fun?  And of course the answer is yes!  She continues by saying that nothing that is fun or enjoyable is a waste of time.  And I also am writing a ton more, especially poetry, and learning a lot about being a poet, so that is a very good thing also.


So I will continue with this exploration and if you wish to follow along with me in any of my various venues, feel free!  Would love to have you join the adventure!  Have a super day!