Re-connecting with reality

Much of my time has been spent trying to chip away at the never-ending pile of grading and lesson-planning (those of you in the field of teaching probably understand what I mean, even if you don't have that problem anymore...). As a result, I have been feeling increasingly disconnected with my family and, in a way, the world.
That's not to say I feel cut-off. Mom does a great job sending a letter every week with the family news. We also usually talk by phone at least once every other week. I also talk to my several siblings on various occasions. Despite all that, I still feel a bit isolated. It didn't really hit me until I was reading Emily's tribute to that fantastically wacky sister we call Beckie (or Beezo, for nostalgia's sake). I enjoyed reading such a loving, heartfelt tribute to a wonderful sister. But it also made me sad- mostly because I realized that so much happens in Missouri that we here in Indiana never really get to be a part of. For example, while Emily is missing those million little moments she used to have with her son, we miss so much more of those because we don't get to see Noah for months at a time. (Of course, it does help that she is great at maintaining the Noah website, so we don't have to miss too many of those delightful moments)
As I reflected wistfully on this feeling of disconnection, I realized that I was partly to blame. While I would read my siblings' blogs, and occasionally visit the family website (though not as often as I should), I never responded. I never really reached out to them. Maybe part of it is the romantic in me- I still tend to prefer the more "old-fashioned" forms of communication, such as letters and phone calls (though I'm not as diligent as my mother at these things). While I still strongly advocate these things, I have realized that if I want to feel more connected, I have to do my own bit of reaching out. That means taking time to post responses. That means taking time to post photos. That means possibly maintaining a blog of my own so people can read what my thoughts and feelings are...
So here it is- the great experiment. I warn you, you will have to be patient. It may take awhile to actually get it to where I would like it to be. I have much to do this Spring Break, and once school starts up again, my time will be more limited. But I am more committed to giving more time to this effort at re-connecting with my family and with the world around me.
Thus, it is with great hope that I welcome you to my little corner of the virtual world in the hopes that together, we can better understand the real world that is out there...