Marci K. Walton

That’s it. I’ve been lurking for far too long. I’m leaning in or jumping in or any other analogy you would like to use about leaving fears behind and just doing.

Whew, now that that’s out of the way, let’s get down to business. I have been intrigued by the #SAchat community for some time. About a year ago, I found the hashtag and for many Thursdays after that I would scroll through posts and nod my head in silent agreement. This was all within the safety of my office. It wasn’t until a few weeks ago that I decided to participate. I must say it was one of the more immediately rewarding professional development opportunities I have experienced. There was no “conference high” to come down from, no stack of business cards to follow-up with, no sense of “Sure, that was great on YOUR campus, but it would never work here.” In short, it was a reflective dialogue within a community of colleagues, most of which I have never met in person.

This initial experience made me want to explore even further. It turned on a light somewhere and made me realize what a wealth of knowledge exists from the comfort of our own computers. I was also particularly inspired by the Student Affairs women bloggers who quite simply put.it.out.there. (I’m looking at you Stacy Oliver, Becca Obergefel, Ann Marie Klotz, Renee Piquette Dowdy, and many others.)

I was fired up and ready to post. But then the voice in the back of my head started nagging me with sentiments like “Will anyone actually read anything you post?” “What could you possibly have to offer the field?” “You are in no position to share ‘wisdom’ with others.” It was at about this time that Cindy Kane posted an excellent post on the “Imposter Syndrome.” In a rare moment of seeing beyond my own self-imposed limitations, I realized I was talking myself out of blogging, of sharing my point of view, of contributing to this field that I love so much.

So here I am. Blogging. Posting. Worrying more about content and less about format. Realizing that I’m making a commitment to reflection and contribution to the conversation. If nary a soul ever sees these posts, as least I will have quieted that voice in my head that says I wasn’t able to do it.