Online Behavior - What's Important

Is it easier to make friends online? I don't like to think that I'm anti-social. Maybe it's more along the lines of having the mentality that believes that people can see ME. That maybe they're judging and don't like what they're seeing. That leaves me wide open for all sorts of psychoanalysis. But online, I don't feel like that. It's only in person, and usually only really evident in a group of 3 or more people. How I got to this point is pretty much an account of every day of my life, but I won't get into it. Of course, if your family is anything like mine they have no problem actually saying the judgments that happen to cross their minds.
It's always the same old thing, some people have no social sensor. Nothing that governs whether or not they should say something. Either that or they just don't care if what they say is or isn't acceptable, polite, or even tactful. You can say some pretty harsh truths and get away with them, if you put yourself on the other side of the conversation first. My children remind me every day of the differences in the ways of teaching manners and socially acceptable behavior I grew up with and they did. Of course, spanking is considered abuse. (Very quietly... I don't think so!) A well-placed and well-timed smack on the butt isn't a cure for bad behavior, but it is not abuse, especially if it is effective in breaking the habits that would turn your parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents over in their graves.  I sure as hell am not going to go up to someone and say the things my kids think are okay to say! Like I said, NO SENSOR! I shudder to think of the shape of my backside if I tried that when I was a kid. Currently, my mother lives with me and my two teenagers. She asks me on a regular basis if she can please thump them. I tell her no, but it's never the answer I really want to give. Don't tell them that though!
Sorry, off topic, again!
I like to think of my interactions with people online as more open and less threatening than in person. In person, there's always the worry that my makeup is smeared, my hair looks like a bunch of ferrets have been playing hide and seek, and my weight, height, eye color, chin, etc. will be judged and found wanting. Online, I can let my real thoughts and feelings be put out there without the worry. If you can't see me then the only thing that can be judged is my intelligence, competence, and character. I'm okay with that. I've got a high level of intelligence. I'm quite competent in dealing with the things I have learned. My character is straight forward and caring. No secrets, lies, or attempts to make anyone think I'm any different than I really am.
As physically insecure as I may be, I don't have any doubts about who and what I am inside. People seem to like me when I'm willing to let them. Hmm. Worrying over looks and how I'm going to be perceived limits what I can offer. I'd rather be approachable. For me, that means just letting my care and concern show in the words I write. It's okay for people to react in any way they want to online. The ones that become my friends come to me because I've written and showed that I care about the things they care about. That I'm not going to put them down for not knowing something or making a mistake. That I will support and encourage them without reservations or hidden agendas. Sometimes, it's just being able to run things through my head for a little while before posting a response. If you ask a question and I know the answer, you'll get the answer. If you have a problem and I have advice or experience, you'll get my perspective. I can't help it. (Typical water bearer. No judgment. Lots of input so you can make your own choices fully informed.)
I don't understand people who feel that stating judgments is acceptable, either in person or online. You don't want to be judged. You don't feel that others have the right to make judgments about you, so why would you say it to someone else? It just doesn't make sense.
I think everyone wants information, support, and encouragement. Online, the physical interaction created by body language never becomes an issue. I'd rather be able to concentrate completely on what a person is saying, think about it, spend some time researching information if needed, and then posting a reply with some consideration and care behind it.

Finding Ideas

Yesterday, I spent the day working with my brother. He was moving. How is it that even though I don't get tapped for the packing and carrying part of things anymore, but I still get the clean up duty? Oh wait, I can answer that! I used to clean houses for a living! Today turned into one giant fight with my body. Hello... Dipstick...If you haven't done something for a while, you're body makes you sore the next day out of revenge. I know it's lactic acid in the muscles and joints that aren't used to certain motions, but it sounds more interesting when I say it's revenge.

For the last week or so, my fingers, wrists, and arms have been complaining. Yesterday's cleaning spree just made them louder. I sat down and typed out 1 report. A 5 minute dictation took me over an hour! Why? Because my fingers refused to cooperate with the signals my brain was trying to send them. I finally just took some Tylenol and ibuprofen and laid down. I went to sleep right away and woke 6 hours later feeling more like myself.

I'm not sure why my fingers, wrists, and arms are so achy. I'm wondering if it's the fibromyalgia that I was diagnosed with last month. I really should do more research about it. Right now, I know that it's a chronic pain condition where the muscles are sent inappropriate signals through the nerves telling them to feel pain. I don't know if regular use of certain muscles will increase the signals or if sudden use of muscles that aren't used to it will increase the signals. Knowing more about it will probably help me to not provoke increases in the pain signals. I do know that sometimes it's more about just rolling with the punches.

I've been reading through a couple of the blogs started by my fellow Career Step students and alumni. Both of these ladies have great insights into MT, the career and learning how to become an MT. They've inspired me to increase my posting frequency and work on the content. http://virtuallytheretranscriptionists.blogspot.com/ and http://clubhousemt.blogspot.com/

I started this blog when I knew I was going to be enrolled in the Career Step Transcription course and then got so busy with the school and forum that I let it slide. Of course, as you've probably noticed, life has also been an issue.

It's interesting that I never really thought about what it would be like after I graduated. I just thought about what the training is and trying to do my best with that. After searching through my own experience with the school and how active I've been in the forum, I realized that I really do have a lot to say.

Along with spending dedicated time with reports, I'm going to mine my posts on the forum and work through some of the issues I have posted and commented on there. Ideas have to come from somewhere. Right? Well, let's see how it goes.

See you later!

IT'S TAKEN ME LONGER THAN I WANTED

It's been a while since I've written anything. I guess I should start by saying that I slowed way down after getting a little way into the first section of reports.

There were a lot of things going on that contributed to the breakdown of consistently hammering out reports. Part of it was frustration with stuff going on at home and part of it was frustration because I couldn't concentrate. (Because of the stuff going on at home.) Vicious circles, gotta love 'em.

Basically, financial issues and stress pushed me into a tailspin of worry. Never having been one who could live in the now, dealing with tomorrow when it gets here, I tend to let things overwhelm me. Considering that I had no clue how the next month's bills were going to get paid, I was definitely overwhelmed!

Half of the financial issues have been dealt with, but there are still a lot of concerns coming up. I've been better dealing with not knowing where some of the money will come from because there is at least something coming in on a regular basis.

As far as my reports go, I'm doing a lot better now! I'm getting anywhere from 5 to 10 reports finished a day. That's not working constantly or even in dedicated blocks of time, which I really need to be doing if I want to get finished with the course and start working.

I've made a promise to myself that I will spend 5 to 8 hours of dedicated REPORT time daily for the next week and see where that leaves me. If it turns out that this feels good and I'm getting good grades on each report then I know I've found the answer to the problem I created for myself by letting worry overwhelm me for too long.

I really want to get finished with these reports within the next couple of months so that I can start applying for jobs toward the end of the hiring slow down. The slow down usually happens from November to February. That should give me plenty of time to get my act together!

How's that for positive thinking?