From Jimmy Casas to Water Wings

Blogging has never been my "thing".  Typing my thoughts and sending them out into the Great Beyond has never really appealed to me.  It's not that I don't have anything to say--those that know me well know that I am always "at the ready" to give my opinion or make a smart-aleck quip.  Here's the deal . . . . if you're not careful, blogging can make you look like you are a professional self-promoter, or on the other end of the spectrum, it can quite honestly make you look pretty stupid.  Let's be honest, everybody has read a blog that has a lot to do about nothing--who wants to be "that guy" or "that girl"?

So, what changed my mind?  What pushed me over the edge and made me take the plunge?  Jimmy Casas.  Yes, the @casas_jimmy who is a HS principal in Iowa, motivational speaker and #IAedchat Co-Founder Jimmy Casas.  You see, I heard him present at the Missouri Association of Secondary School Principal's meeting this spring.  He challenged everyone in the packed room to blog and share what they know, great things that they are doing, etc.  I know what you're thinking--you've heard that spiel before, it's not new to Jimmy--believe me, I'm right there with you!  However, Jimmy gave me permission to struggle with it (blogging), to hate it from time-to time, and to take as long as necessary to get an entry written (he said it takes him weeks sometimes).

With these things in mind, I am making a commitment to post to this blog once a month.  I'm a middle school principal leading the turn-around of a fantastic school.  We've been at it for a while and the ship has definitely begun to steer in the right direction!  Surely I will have something to contribute.  So far, I'm on a mad-wicked streak of one-month-in-a-row!  Even better, I just heard Jimmy speak Monday--so either he's really good, or I am! :)  How hard is it to write a blog about blogging though?  On the Grega scale of SP (self-promotion) to PS (pretty stupid), this one might be tipping the scale towards PS, but hey--it's my first one!  Nowhere to go but up!

Thanks again to Jimmy Casas to pushing me over the edge!  I still need a life jacket.  Perhaps in a couple of months I will graduate to Water Wings!

Get started yourself.  There really isn't an excuse not to join in and blog, otherwise I would have thought of it!  If you actually took the time to read this, you know you can do better--so BRING IT and be sure to tag me when you tweet about your new blog @debbie_grega