Crashed. Hard. Been riding high for a week, caught up in the crazy of a tweet gone viral, still trying to process how it all happened and what it all means. It’d be disingenuous for me to suggest that there has not been a measure of giddy excitement as new and more articles and newscasts come out about Meg’s story. I got caught up in it, excitedly sharing and discussing the news with friends, family, colleagues, Tweeps, and my students. It was exciting. But it was also exhausting. And I should have been better prepared for the crash to come because it did. Of course it did.

But I did it to myself. I know better. I know how big a wuss I am when I don’t get enough sleep, and I also know that tripling my caffeine intake will only make the crash harder when it comes. I know that my introversion can only handle so much noise, and I also know that my trying to sing along only makes more noise. I know that attention leads to introspection, and I also know that introspection and the second-guessing that comes with it leads to doubt and insecurity. I think some may call it “impostor syndrome.” And while I do not feel the impostor, I do feel the human and the frailty that comes with it. And today, I feel decidedly human.

And even though I was on my tip-toes atop a chair with my wife holding on to me as I dismantled every smoke alarm in the house at 2:00 AM this morning to stop an alarming beep only to discover it was the carbon monoxide detector with a dead battery, I am on my third LARGE cup of coffee, running late, hoping to write something appealing to my readers, feeling anxious about opening my classroom to Twitter friend and neighbor Rachael Kettner-Thompson who is visiting my class this morning, worrying about meeting her expectations, and…well, I am back at it again.

I am not sure why I am sharing this this morning, my first-world problem: poor Monte’s gotten too much attention. Maybe it’s because I needed to process all that’s happened. Maybe it’s because I am afraid of what will now be expected. Maybe it’s that I wanted to let my readers know that I am just me beneath it all. I don’t know. But I don’t have time to figure it out now.

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will…

…begin with Smiles and Frowns.

…choose a community champ.

…begin sharing our Passion Papers.

…engage in a Q&A discussion with Rachael.

…end with a Sappy Sy Rhyme.

Happy Friday, all. Thank you for being here. Matters. A lot.

Do. Reflect. Do Better.