Why the Writing Stopped Again

Wasn't he going to write more, like at least semi-frequently? What happened to that?

There's a thing that a lot of people I know do with late email reponses. If they needed to get back to someone on an email a day or two ago and they suddenly remember, they'll usually respond as soon as possible. But the longer it's been, the more anxious they get about responding so late, and less likely they are to ever actually respond without prompting.

...Wait, I'm sure I've seen this articulated in a comic somewhere. (Quickly Googles "Email late response comic" and The Oatmeal comes up, because of course it does.)

So yeah, basically this.

That dynamic totally infiltrated my new resolution of blog writing. I posted the link to my sleep apnea post being like "Wooooo two days in a row, I'm on FIRE" and promptly managed to intimidate myself into feeling like I needed to keep up that pace, at the prospect of which I promptly shut down entirely, and then every day I didn't post consistently I felt like I'd need more and more elaborate excuses for having had a gap (Oh hey look what I'm doing right now).

Also, instead of the act of writing things down and publishing them alleviating any pressure from the bubbling thought cauldron upstairs, putting my words out there actually seemed to stir things up. Suddenly, I was simultaneously mentally composing four new essays, but they'd make points or digressions that relied on referencing each other, so I mean what order should I post them in? Maybe I could post them all at once? But that meant instead of just writing one I'd need all four finished before the next posting, and anyway shouldn't I space my blog posts out more? (At this very moment, a "Blog post vs. Essay" blog post/essay about that terminology which I have brewing in another tab is getting me mentally sidetracked.)

So, anyway, this is just a short post, mulling over that dynamic and recommitting to actually taking it easier on myself in the service of getting myself to write more. Fun mental judo!

…Oh, the one other thing that threw me off briefly was after like three people in one day said how much they hate the word "millennial" I went on a compulsive brainstorming session about potentially changing my blog's name (after all it's early in the writing, so it would be much easier to rebrand sooner than later…) 

So here for your reading pleasure, without further ado, is the verbatim stream of consciousness sequence of new name considerations I typed on my phone 4 nights ago:

I should rename my blog to some pun or take on the Federalist papers
Federalist Pages
The Federalist Sticky Notes
Nerdsalist papers
The Federalist posts
I am actually a Federalist (states rights can work as innovation labs, but to block progress they are always the opposition to civil rights)
Millenialist Papers
Labatt Looks Again
Look again, Labatt
Confessions of a...
Confessions of a whathaveyou
Confessions of a something-something
Shakespeare/Hamilton/media/empathy
Punching the bursar
Clown shoes
Barefoot ponderings
Barefoot in clown shoes
Wet blanket firebrand
Paradox oxymoron
The sharp dull
Ain't the sharpest sharp in the sharp
Hook hanging
Hanging out on hooks
Doing this instead
Labatt essays
Fire and powder
Methodic madness
Methodical play
Methodically mad play
Prospero quote about infirmity
I'm fine; I'm better; don't worry about me
Positive brainwave pressure
Continuous positive pressure
Methodically medically mad
The ticket cup
Something empathy
Empathic madness
Folie a deux
Jobot's Log
Lord protectorate
Windows screens
Fear the helpful machine
Don't rage, the machine is only doing its job
Side effects may include racing thoughts
Racing thoughts
Uncorking
Convection currents
Doing this instead
Instead, I'm Doing/Writing This 

Ok, so posting this list was originally just a joke, but looking at it again I actually really like some of these, or some slight variations on them:

• Punching the Bursar
• Side Effects May Include Racing Thoughts
• Methodically/Medically Mad
• Emphatically, Empathically Mad 
• Confessions of a Twenty-Something, Or what you will.

Does anyone out there have thoughts on any those names? Comment about them! Not in the "I have a blog and more comments is evidence of higher traffic and more engaged readership" way people sometimes ask for comments, but like I'm actually curious what people have to say. 

I could even go full CNN-desperate and have a poll, too. Should I have a poll? Do I have anywhere near the kind of readership to justify a poll? Eh, why not, even if it's like three votes that's fine.

Favorite New Name?

Punching the Bursar

Side Effects May Include Racing Thoughts

Methodically/Medically Mad

Emphatically, Empathically Mad

Confessions of a Twenty-Something, Or what you will.

Poll Maker

Comment if you like any of the rest of the list, or you have questions, or a couple of suggestions.

"Joseph Labatt ain't the sharpest sharp in the sharp" is definitely going to be my bio for something, someday.

Playing You Out: