Rest Stop on the Journey

Oh, yeah... I started this blog to talk about the journey.

A lot of the old posts are ramblings, perhaps even stream of consciencnesses (is the the proper plural) of discerning how learning happens, what my role is in my dc's learning and keeping it real.

Real.

Real.

Humm.

Sometimes I don't know what is real. I mean outside my home. I am beginning to understand what is real here. And to find that I found I had to seperate the 'white from the rice' - as I told a yankee friend of mine who got a giggle out of it.

How to seperate. I had to:

Look at my boys for who they are.
Understand their world.
See their learning.
Seperate their goals and needs from mine (as in justifying my homeschool role and imposing things upon them that are really to satisfy me)
Stop trying to look good to others.
Keep Christ in my life and try to answer to him only. (still working on this and failing a lot)
Stop reading many blogs/site/lists out there that made me veer off real-ness- know my heart and keep my focus. Know when to look out and when to look within.
Actively be involved in the boys and their lives and give them what they did need (after seperating out what they did not)

My boys are happy at home. I hear about kids who are not and realize that my reality is not the same as others' realities. So it is hard to talk about what is real, because what is real for me may be different than for others.

But, I still wonder about how to keep it real and connect with others and gain that support and comradery, but not subcumb to the outside 'lists' and 'expectations'. Now, I am all for both of those things when they are needed. But tell me, how does an average mom like you or me keep that seperate?

In thinking about my journey and trying to stay on track, here is an example. There has been a mild uproar about Dr. Phil and his show putting homeschooling in a bad light.
I didn't read any of it. Why? Because I am on my path, my journey. I know the critics. And I also know the media. They do anything for ratings.

I also know I would watch/read it and think about all the people in my extended family, neighbors and others who do NOT KNOW homeschooling, have never tried it and I would imagine them watching that show. Then next time I saw them I would imagine them harboring those thoughts.

Is this productive? Is it the thoughts God wants me to have?

I suspect 'no.' At least not right now- maybe in few years when I write my book lol and my boys are off and gone then maybe I will be the media watchdog for homeschooling. But not right now.

So, on this journey for the real. Sometimes I am out of step, but usually fall back in. On ward through the fog...