Slice of Life Challenge day 31 #sol17- FINAL DAY

Title: “Grateful”

When I began this year’s Slice of Life Story Challenge, many thoughts swirled through my mind.  What would I write about?  Would my writing be good enough?  Who would read it?  How could I possibly write for 31 days straight- what, with three children, a full-time job, a house, and all the responsibilities that come with such a full life- where would this fit?

And yet, here I am on day 31, along with so many who probably brought similar questions to the challenge.  As a first-time slicer, this experience has opened my eyes to what is possible when people in a community all commit to something and see it through together.  And what a wonderful ‘something’ to commit to seeing through!  A few things I learned:

  1.  Writing enriches – As many of us who engaged with this challenge discovered (or already knew), writing everyday enriches the world.  Perhaps on a small scale, yes.  But the act of writing, as Alan J. Wright wrote early on, allows us to live life twice- once physically, and once interpretively.  And this enriches not only us as writers, but us as readers.  For it is through reflective interpretation that we learn and evolve.
  2. Courage is contagious-  I was deeply moved by those in this community who chose to share and write about incredibly courageous topics.  And to be honest, reading all of you who took such great risk in your writing by writing about the hard topics, inspired me to do the same.  My deduction is that because of the nature of the supportive comments left by readers, we all felt safe, safe enough to write about what really matters.
  3. The ‘writer’s eye’ is real-  For many years, I’ve worked to teach both teachers and students to ‘live like a writer,’ to be on the lookout for ideas that inspire. But honestly, I had never developed that muscle to the degree I have developed it this month.  Living into a commitment of writing everyday has been a bit like an exercise program, a program that has successfully resulted in a strengthened ability to truly reside inside a place of writerly observation.
  4. This community is awesome-  The educators who wrote alongside each other across this month truly are inspiring people.  Your stories and your courage to faithfully be willing to write them down and share them with the world have lifted me as a writer.  And for that, I am truly grateful

Thanks to all of you who have been reading each day (or some days), as well.  Your emails, tweets, and personal comments have been both humbling and unbelievably encouraging.  I thank you for them!

For those of you wishing to continue writing within this community, remember that Slice of Life Tuesdays will continue on Two Writing Teachers blog!  I’ll be hosting the month of April.  Hope to see you there!

Until next year…thank you everyone 🙂

 

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Author: Lanny Ball

For more than 29 years, Lanny has taught, coached, presented, staff developed, and consulted within the exciting and enigmatic world of literacy. With unyielding passion and belief in the possibility of workshop teaching, Lanny has worked to support students, teachers, and school administrators around the country in outgrowing themselves as both writers and readers. Working first as a classroom teacher, then as a coach and TCRWP Staff Developer, Lanny is now a literacy specialist, working and living in the great state of Connecticut. Outside of literacy, he enjoys raising his three ambitious young daughters with his wife, and playing the piano. Find him on this blog, as well as on Twitter @LannyBall. Lanny is also a former co-author of a blog dedicated to supporting writing teachers and coaches that maintain classroom writing workshops, twowritingteachers.org.

22 thoughts on “Slice of Life Challenge day 31 #sol17- FINAL DAY”

  4. I love this! What a well written reflection and inspiring post for fellow writers. I woke up with the same “live life twice” quote bouncing around my head and you put it so eloquently here. A perfect final slice. Cheers!

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  5. This community is awesome and the courage is contagious and inspirational. I have also been reflecting on “live life twice”and used a variation of it in my post today. See you Tuesday!

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  6. Congrats on achieving the goal of this challenge. We all have so much to learn and share in our writing. Thanks for sharing this month and I look forward to seeing you on Tuesdays!

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  11. I have completely enjoyed being “assigned” to you as part of the Welcome Wagon team. I am inspired by what you do with your students and learned some great tips. (Thank you!) I think you are a perfect addition to twowritingteachers and I’m looking forward to learning even more from you as I daily stalk this community of learners.

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  14. You made it! I loved reading your reflections here and remember the first time I joined the challenge. It’s funny that you mention the “writer’s eye.” I didn’t truly develop this until I joined this community. It was one of those things I think I believed I understood because I was a teacher and I was an adult. However, it was only after truly forming a habit of writing that I realized what it really meant. Now I truly know the difference between having it and times when I am lacking it. This community always has a way of revitalizing that lens for me. So glad you found the experience revealing and inspiring.

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