I read an interesting piece about experiencing vs. spectating our lives. It reminded me of this irritating woman I follow on Twitter who leaves upward from 60 to 100 tweets a day. She’s a high school English teacher who does, I admit, leave a scads of good education links in some of those tweets. Every single time I check Twitter, she’s unloaded another fifteen to twenty more links, comments, insights, and hourly whatevers. Fine.
Yes, I know I don’t have to follow her. There’s this strange combination of connection (she’s a codirector of a group I’d rather not name, just like me) and fear of Bad Manners. Southern twitterers must bump into this dilemma all the time. UNfollowing someone, especially if you have a connection of any kind, feels a lot like walking off in the middle of a conversation at the grocery store. It’s rude and ungracious.
Yesterday, as the cloud of grades and final exams finally blew clear, I opened my Twitter to actually leave one. I don’t do this often enough to be remotely interesting to anyone, so if you follow me, well, it’s going to be a little dull. At any rate, I opened my account and there she was, this high school English teacher twittering away about this and that and filling up my whole page.
And then it occurred to me…this was a school day. She was at a high school somewhere up north with a rotating classroom of students every hour on the hour. I counted, and she sent over forty tweets between 8:00 and 4:00. That’s a little over five tweets an hour.
When did she teach? I’ve been a high school English teacher myself, and I know averting your eyes from the crowd at hand for more than ten seconds can be A Very Bad Idea. I also remember nonstop teaching, planning, conferences, lunch duty, and grading during those hours. I also remember the four or so hours at home each evening dedicated to most of that list. Teaching high school English is an all-consuming vocation.
At what point does she push away from the computer and teach in the moment? or at all? And why on earth do I need a running string of electronic teaching ephemera from someone who only twitters teaching?
Here’s the bottom line. Experience needs the luxury of time and reflection to fully explain its multiple layers and provide real meaning. Twittering bypasses reflection and allows us to forgo internal monologue and true understanding. It happens too instantly and is discarded too quickly. Twittering also eats up the moment; constantly narrating our lives turns us into spectators without actual experience. If we Twitter five times an hour we can’t be doing anything.
I’m going to set my Southern upbringing aside and UNfollow this poor woman. My guess is she’s tied up in a broom closet right now, 25 to 30 teenagers laughing and texting each other as they run to their cars.
No Telling 
That’s just crazy. People do get too consumed by this Twitter business. Although, I can’t talk because I’m constantly reading blogs all day… But, I sit at a desk all day and don’t have an audience to attend to…
BTW, from what I understand.. You teach at my alma mater.
I’m an avid blog reader, too. Since I haven’t gone “mobile” by checking/writing via cell, I have to be sitting behind a computer. One of the best things about teaching is not having to sit anywhere for more than five minutes at a time.
This explains my lackluster blogging schedule. That, and I don’t like blogging when there’s really nothing to say. Twitter is all about blogging when there’s nothing. I guess I’m just a follower.
You have a lovely blog! And Go Bears!
Monda, my dear! Does this mean you’ve finally finished grading papers?? The new look is very attractive. Wow, does anybody but the two of us remember clotheslines?? Do you ever still use one? I have room in my yard to put one up, but my dryer is soooo convenient…
Been drawing, photographing, making art, so haven’t been around much. I do NOT have time to Twitter, that’s for sure. I barely have time to check Facebook, or to blog. Given the theme of my own blog, I had to chuckle at a comment made recently by Tracey Ullman suggesting that we breast cancer survivors should start a network called ‘Titter.’ Maybe I’ll do that one of these days. Anyone who would call her latest finished art piece “My Cup Runneth Over” deserves to be in charge of a service called Titter.
How’s the knee?
Had to give the blog a bit of a “summer look.” I do the same thing with my hair this time of year.
Yes the papers are finally done, and yes I remember clotheslines. I used to be quite an acrobat on those things, spinning and flipping and such. No wonder the knees gave out.
The knee is workable, gal, and that damn rolling walker is in the garage where I hope it stays forever.
I’ve got to get over to your blog and catch up – the Titter thing sounds PERFECT! You could make everyone write in 141 characters. Imagine the layout/symbol/icon possiblities!
I don’t buy this whole twitter thing. I’ve never even looked at the site…and after reading this post, I don’t think I EVER WILL! 🙂 I noticed you’ve done some revamping to your blog and I’m totally jealous. How did you get so blogger savvy? And can you teach me?
Madeline, I’d be happy to teach you what little I know about blog layout and such. Just let me know when you’ve got a little time and we’ll play with your blogs.
< HREF="http://lipstickstreet.blogspot.com" REL="nofollow">Lipstick Street<> is a marvelous idea, by the way. I’m so proud of you!
I’m telling you: 86.
I'm very impressed with the Supernews video. Even though it was short it was sweet (fantastical). I'm a pre-fan to the maker. You go creator.
2pacfarrar : )
I love it too. That one makes me laugh every time I watch it.
So glad you stopped by!