Monday, February 25, 2008

I've become...

One of those weird home schooled kids.
It kind of freaks me out.

I have entire friendships that exist completely on the internet.
Don’t worry. I’m not talking about To Catch A Predator chat room friendships.

I’ve realized that Facebook creates a strange dynamic.
First it allows me to “stalk” people who I am no longer friends with. We’re talking elementary school friends and the boy I used to like. It’s horrible, I feel so creepy even admitting that.
It also has the ability to bridge the gap between myself and people I would never have been friends while we were classmates at my former school. It’s amazing how much a change in your “status” can draw people to your page. I’ve bonded with people over things like Juno, political views, and similar musical taste. In that respect it’s pretty fun.

Oh and let’s not forget the bloggers. It’s really weird to me that there are people I consider to be my "friends" who I’ve never met and are way older than me.


I’m actually slightly excited about my school prospects. (Shhh… don’t tell my mom or she’ll start bombarding me with questions.) At my old school it felt like I was going through the motions, stuck into a mold and a specific set of curriculum guidelines. Now I can see the options and all the possibilities that I have in regards to courses and my future. It’s a bit freeing.


I’ve starting writing in these little notebooks. One is for blog ideas, the other is for little ideas that come to me. I’ve never been a “writer”, I still don’t even think I am. I don’t like poetry, and now I’m writing things that are basically in that creative writing poetry realm. Writing used to feel like a chore and something I just did for a grade. It’s all less stifling, and I’m actually learning new things about myself.


Obviously the next logical step is joining some strange religious cult, right?




(I'm working on a new template, bare with the random hideousness you may encounter when you visit the blog through out the next few days.)

10 comments:

Araby62 (a.k.a. Kathy) said...

Hey, I like this template. Purple suits you :) Back in the Pre-Internet era I wrote to penpals, and even though I don't keep in touch with them it was still cool to have people outside the usual realm to talk with about things you liked. So, anything that stimulates healthy creativity is good. Facebook stalking, not so much...!

Jillian said...

Purple happens to be my favorite color, so I thought I'd switch it up a bit.
I've never had a penpal, so I guess Facebook pals are close enough.
My friends call it stalking. I think it's more of a checking in, it's not something I do constantly. I mean if they "friend" you they give you the key to looking in on whatever part of their lives they choose to share there.

meanderings said...

I like the new template - very easy to read, also!
We won't tell your mom that you're excited about education...

Windy said...

You just made me spit diet coke all over my screen with that opening line. My husband used to be a youth pastor at a large church and we did kinda crack on the weird home schooled kids, but you know what? I WAS a homeschooler for a couple years myself and so was my husband! I am a product of public school and homeschooling, so I guess that gives us rights to rag on it sometimes.

Now that I am a Mom, I can tell you that there is no way in hell I'm sending my kids to a public school (even though I will be teaching in one!) It's just not the same as when I was little, at least not here in FL. My niece and nephew go to a great public elementary school in Kansas.

This blog gives me context clues as to why you are so freakin smart and mature for 16. You have some rockin parents who are very involved in your life... makes all the diff if you ask me.... just my two cents. =0 )

And your stalker-Dateline comment cracked me up. Those shows are so creepy!!!!!

Jillian said...

Colleen, double thanks!

Windy, I'm glad to provide entertainment. I am a product of Catholic, Public, and Home schooling. So I can knock all of them if I want to. I just think certain schooling methods just don't work for some kids. Catholic school left me confused and behind. Public school taught me about the real world and social situations. Home school has allowed me to find more of myself. I just say whatever works.

Naomi said...

Jillian, a writer is someone who writes, so therefore you are a writer!

I like the purple. Can't wait to see how the new look takes shape. I also like the picture of your hands!

I think your schooling has brought you to a wonderful place. You are asking wonderful questions and going in search of answers. You are in home schooling and in the school of life and doing well in both.

Unknown said...

WHO! WHAT! WHEN! WHERE! WHY! HOW!
THERE'S THE BOMBARDMENT!

GOTCHA!

TO ALL YOUR BLOGGER FRIENDS - SHE IS THE BEST AND I LOVE HER MORE THAN LIFE!

Jillian said...

Naomi, you always have the most wonderful and insightful things to say. I'm not sure where I'm going with the layout. I used to be able to write HTML code etc with ease, and now it's escaped me. That picture is from D365, it just happens to be my favorite one.

Mother, thank you for publicly embarrassing me. I love you too!

Donna said...

Jillian,
I love the new look. Purple is my favorite color, too!

Unknown said...

i am very excited to hear of this!!!