A few days a week I drive around with extra kids and gain more insight than most parents receive in a month’s time. Even though transporting a car full of 11 and 12 year olds home from school doesn’t sound like a joy ride, I am one of the rare parents who actually looks forward to it. In just a half hour, I receive an education most parents would pay big bucks for. I have to admit that I often learn more than I want to know, but more importantly, I’m learning more about my daughter and her environment. Read the rest at http://www.shannonphilpott.com
Category: Blog
Sweet Dreams
Dreams have always fascinated me to the point that it irritates me when I can’t recall the details of my dreamy sagas. There are times when I wake up agitated knowing that something in my dreams sparked the feeling. There are times when I wake up at peace knowing that something or someone inspired me while I slept. Dreams are mysterious, though, and as much as it bothers me to not know, it’s probably best that I don’t. Read the rest at http://www.shannonphilpott.com
Lucky 7: Seven Websites Student Journalists Should Follow
Ever since I began this whirlwind journey into college media advising, I have been scouring resources to pass on to my students. I’m a slave to social media and have found some of the best sites, blogs, and organizations an immense help in navigating the ever-changing field of journalism. Majority of my students have little to no interest in Twitter, but ironically, majority of the tips and industry updates I receive come from my contacts on Twitter. So, I thought I’d pass these on with the hopes of encouraging my team to follow the trends and the advice from the best of the best. Read the rest at http://www.shannonphilpott.com
Just Say No
It’s no secret that I am a chronic “yes” girl. I can’t say no even when I am buried with projects, work, and family life. Another committee? Sure. Come in on my day off? Why not? Need parent volunteers? I’m your girl. There are times when I just want to say no, when I want to put the grading pen down, and when I just want to turn off my cell phone for the evening. I didn’t think I could until last night. read the rest at http://www.shannonphilpott.com
Smiles, Tears, and Dirty Terry
As a parent, you will do just about anything to see your child smile. We sit through endless hours of dance lessons, cub scout meetings, soccer practices, and choir concerts. We pick out kid-friendly meals, buy over-priced Hollister shirts, and drive our kids to and from friends’ houses every weekend. It’s a small price to pay for the smiles that light up our kids’ faces. I always said that I would draw the line with pets, specifically reptiles. But, I’m a sucker for smiles and so I caved – resulting in Dirty Terry. Read the rest at http://www.shannonphilpott.com
Has Journalism Been Hit With an Ugly Stick?
Journalists are trained to be objective – trained to report on the good, the bad, and the ugly. However, when it comes to our own profession, we often find it difficult to see anything but the good. The truth is that there are many ugly aspects of the job, and as this industry continues to change rapidly, many ugly trends have evolved. Read the rest at http://www.shannonphilpott.com
In Death We Find Life
It’s a tragedy to see someone you love in pain, whether it’s emotional or physical. It’s even more of a tragedy to see someone you love lose a battle to death. This weekend, I lost a friend suddenly. He was someone who was genuine, in touch with other’s souls, but someone who never found his own soul. Read the rest at http://www.shannonphilpott.com
Parenting Hurts So Good
I always underestimated the challenges of parenting. I thought that the moans and groans of parents were highly exaggerated. The baby sleeps, eats, poops – end of story, right? Wrong. The baby grows up, gains independence and strength, and ultimately begins to talk, socialize, and test boundaries. Parenting is hard and even more so, parenting hurts. Read the rest at http://www.shannonphilpott.com
If You Love Someone, Let Them Go
I’ve always heard that if you love someone you should let them go. Personally, I struggle with letting go. As much as I know that change is a powerful, necessary force in life, I still resist it, fight it, and dread it. As much as I’ve been dreading today, I never realized how much it would hurt to let go of my baby sister. Although Molly has been a jet setter from day one, she always seemed to be within reach. We rarely saw her when she lived nearby, but she was there when it mattered and we knew that she was within reach. When she moved as far as Hawaii, she was still within the country. Today, she boarded a plane for Germany. As far as I want to reach out my hand, she’s just too far away to take it now. Read the rest at http://www.shannonphilpott.com
My Dog is a Tween
We all go through defiant phases in our lives – the terrible twos, the child/adolescent tween years, the roll-your-eyes-at-everything teen stage, and then adulthood, the stage with more categories I can name in one blog post. This week, I’ve realized that dogs go through many of these same phases and I’ve determined that my dog is officially a tween. Read the rest at http://www.shannonphilpott.com
Shannon Philpott-Sanders 