Dear Bitsy & Boo readers,
By now, you may have noticed that it’s been over two weeks since I posted fresh content to the site, and for that, I feel I owe you an explanation. It’s numbered below, but you can totes skip to the end if you like.
- New job. I began as a Community Engagement Specialist with NOLA.com | Baton Rouge three and half months ago, and to say that it’s been a whirlwind would be conservative. In that period of time, I have learned (and am still learning) best practices for social media and social media strategy, Movable Type, TextCaster, basic HTML, basic SEO, Hootsuite/Hootsuite metrics, PageBuilder, Storify and more. What’s amazing is that I am so incredibly amped about it all. Geeking out about how to best employ Instagram, Twitter and Vine to provide great coverage for the upcoming Wearin’ of the Green Parade? Yes, please!
- Art Melt. Within a week of starting the new job, I volunteered to chair Forum 35’s tenth annual Art Melt, being held Saturday, July 20 at the Louisiana State Museum. We’re anticipating about 9,000 attendees. What’s that you say? Why would you sign yourself up to chair the state’s largest juried art exhibit during a critical time for your career? The most obvious answer to your question is that I’m a crazy betch that struggles with performance anxiety (i.e. telling people, “No”). But the honest answer is that I genuinely support the event’s mission: to provide a free, high quality experience that cultivates a greater relationship between Louisiana artists and their community.
- Chronic pain. I am in the midst of a year and a half-long struggle with chronic daily headaches. With the exception of a day here and there, I have gone to bed and woken up with a very painful pulsing in the back of my head for close to 547 days. Based on my experience, I can confidently and resolutely say that I would not wish chronic pain upon my most hated enemy. Period. The emotional stress you develop after having numerous medicines/procedures fail; the debilitating energy drain that leads to guilt and sadness when you can’t do things you used to enjoy; the feeling of being somewhere, but not being fully present there because you’re consumed by pain; and worst of all, the absolute and utter despair that envelops you when you realize that you may have to live with chronic pain indefinitely–like I said, not upon my worst enemy. If you are struggling with any or all of the aforementioned chronic pain descriptors, please know that my most genuine sympathies are with you. And if you ever need to talk (or bitch like I’m doing), shoot me an email…seriously. And for those that aren’t sure how to talk to someone with chronic pain/headaches, this “10 Things NOT to Say to a Person with Migraines” article may help.
The lengthy explanation above is meant to simply help you understand that, except for an occasional post now and then, Bitsy & Boo must go on hiatus for a while. This decision was a very difficult one, and my fear of letting people down is palpable.
My little sister told me that sometimes the bravest and hardest thing to do is cut back–to not only realize that you’ve taken on too many responsibilities, but to actually do something about it. Maybe she was just trying to make me feel better, but her words resonated with me.
I believe my focus right now must be on doing well at my new job, planning an unforgettable Art Melt and working with doctors and physical therapists in an effort to alleviate my pain. I have no doubt that consistent posts will be published here again in the future with reinvigorated fervor and dedication. Of course, I hope you’ll be around when that happens so I may share them with you. Until then, your patience and understanding is all I can hope for.
Take care of yourself,
Rebecca
