Blogging 101

A few years ago, I read that keyrings are symbols for our adult lives. At the time, I carried a half-pound combination work-home megakeyring and prided myself on the continuity between my personal and professional lives. Then everything changed.

Work got ugly and I left that job for a one-year fellowship at a local nonprofit. My wife and I bought a house and moved out of the city; as my fellowship drew to a close, I decided to open my own business, a family child care program I would run from our home. A year has passed since my first baby started full-time (my tiny mewling 2-month old is now a 14-month old toddler: imagine!), and the symbolism of keys continues to strike me.

On my Smith College keyring (now 8 years old): one house key, one car key. That's it.

Friends joke that I have the shortest commute ever. It's true, and I love it. I also appreciate the dress code at my workplace: jeans and long-sleeved shirts or sweaters this time of year, shorts and t-shirts in the summer. However, I don't appreciate the lack of respect that comes with running a child care program in my home, nor do I welcome comments about "babysitting." As with anything, there are pros and cons. For now, the pros have it by a wide margin.