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Writing Life

So About That Contest

Sometimes a person gets a great idea.

Like I thought my Saturday Summer Screwball Video Contest was going to rock the house.

But it stunk.

Like the way my garbage can stinks in the summer when it gets all maggoty and stuff.

At first, I was a little bummed.

But then I had a moment of clarity which Monkey helped to capture on film.

Being on camera is creepy.

I think I’ll stick to giving live performances in my classroom and then go back to hiding behind my pen.

Sorry about the ummmms. And the hair.

Monkey should have told me about the hair. But what do 11-year old boys know about hair?

Hope you like my new Outro. Thanks to Monkey for being my IT specialist. And thanks to Hubby for laying down a cool groove.

Congratulations to Todd for submitting this.

Oh, and just so you know, I recently rinsed out our nasty garbage can in the garage.

So I suppose failing at something can help provide not only clarity but cleanliness.

Anybody else screw something up recently?

Tweet this Twit @RASJacobson

19 thoughts on “So About That Contest

  1. Sorry about that, Renée…I really tried to get a copy of one my daughter took years ago of my “Julia Child” impression…unfortunately, she’d deleted all her old videos off her Myspace site…

    I think you’re right that most of us prefer to write rather than be in front of a camera!

    Wendy

    1. Hi Wendy!

      I can’t believe how HARD it was to make a Vlog. During the academic year, I talk to people every day, but in the classroom, you try to look all over the place to make eye-contact with everyone. In a Vlog, you have to stare right into the camera. It was hard.

  2. I didn’t know about that contest, but I agree that I prefer to just write instead of actually be forced to talk and tape myself (if only because I don’t know how to videotape myself. )

    With that said, I screw up all the time–just look at my blog design and have of the posts 😉 I take them all as learning experiences!

    1. Hi Abby:

      I kind of stopped advertising the contest, so I’m not surprised you didn’t know about it. That said, it was a learning experience.

      I learned that I’d rather offer people $20 gift cards to Barnes & Noble. That seems teacher-y to me. 😉

    1. Sprinkles:

      You are too kind! The hair was unwashed, unbrushed and unruly. I preferred the more finished feel of my new and exciting Outro — which only took 7 gazillion hours to make. It became a family ordeal. I mean project… project! 😉

    1. It’s catchy, no?

      “Sometimes she’s a teacher and sometimes she’s a twit…”

      We worked on that for way too long. So many arguments. But in the end, so much love. And a great Outro. Too bad I won’t be doing many Vlogs. You know, since I looked like a dorkus.

  3. Hi Renée,

    You have ‘clearly mastered’ the making of a delightful video. 🙂

    Sorry about the failed awesome idea. The idea is still awesome (Todd would agree), so let’s just say that it was awesome before its time.

    I came to your blog via Val’s link.

    Ray

    1. Hi Ray:

      As a teacher, I like to try to get people to try to get out of their comfort zones and do something different.

      I forgot that I live in a house with a techie who loves to make movies. He’s my IT guy, and I wouldn’t know how to do anything without him!

      That said, bloggers definitely prefer to read and write. And that’s what brought me my peeps in the first place. I have the performance edge because I’m a dork.

      So I’m returning to my platform as a writer. But I’m always a teacher and 93.6% of the time, I’m a twit. So.

      Anyway, I’m glad you found me. Cal’s great.

      Ready or not, here I come (to your place) 😉

  4. Ha! I love Todd’s video!

    It was also a treat getting to see/hear you, in addition to “just” (NOT just!) reading you. One of the things you said made me feel so much better about my weekend, for it has in fact been overshadowed by the small reality TV crew that crashed my apartment Friday night. I thought, “Sure, I’ll let Ba.D. have his fun.” I went along with it. When the folks pulled away Saturday afternoon, I instantly went, “Just what the @#@! was I thinking?!”

    I’ve spent most of my waking moments since then going, “Why did I agree? Why did I agree? Sweet mother of mercy, why did I agree?” When you mentioned the fact it seems like most folks prefer putting their words out there instead of videos of themselves, I realized that’s likely the source of my discomfort. I’m happy to put tons of myself out there when it’s (a) put together by me and (b) fully within my editorial and posting/deleting control.

    Also? Seeing you just being yourself was cool, and made me think maybe I’ll just end up looking like a kick-back mom whose house has been invaded instead of an awkward introvert whose skill with words doesn’t encompass spoken words!

    Thanks for posting this video, for many reasons. 🙂

    Oh, and look at that! I think you’ve got my answer to your concluding question in the above paragraph. *cough*

    1. Whaaaat? Deborah, are you going to be on TV? You’d better back up and tell me what the frack? I cannot imagine having someone do reality stuff at my house. Oh Lawd.

      Details! Please! 😉

      All I can say is that I bet you did not look as dorky as you felt because I know I felt mucho stupido standing in front of the camera doing this Vlog, but you said it was “a treat” to see and hear me. Which was utterly shocking. I almost didn’t post it.

      If it looked semi-normal to you, well… I bet you did fine. But I would LOVE to hear what you and Ba.D were up to!

  5. I feel like I know you a little better now that I’ve seen you LIVE! But I know what you mean about being on video and the creepy feeling. I don’t know if I’ll ever bravely post myself on video.

    1. Soooo creepy. I’ve been in plays and I am very comfortable speaking in front of people, but the camera — which does not respond or smile or nod its head — um, no, not my friend.

      But I can dance in front of it. 😉

  6. That was very funny.
    Love the outro.
    (Maybe give it a wee tweak – “Sometimes she’s a teacher, always she’s a twit.” What?! No! No! Only joking.)
    I’m inspired. I’ll have to maybe, someday soon, get round to definitely thinking about doing a video too. I have a resident 9-year-old creative genius to consult, though I tremble to think what humilation she would heap upon me – especially after the Frederick Forsyth hat debacle. (I haven’t posted about that yet, but will soon.)

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