February 3, 2025

The New Blog Post Equation

After rereading some of the older blogs for inspiration, I came across this blog
“Mindsets of a ‘Perfectionist'” by Monika

And her opening paragraph is as follows:
“These blogs are difficult for me; I feel uncomfortable reading my own writing in front of others. I want my writing to be good. I want others to relate. I don’t want to be negatively judged. As I first sit down to write, I stare at the blank screen and feel uninspired and stressed about the fact that I need to read this out loud in the morning. I am someone who has been called a perfectionist, and though it irks me in the moment, I concede that maybe it’s true… sometimes.”

I can’t relate to the perfectionist part, but my gosh, does it freak me out starting from scratch. This is my second blog, and each time I follow the same routine: sit and look at a blank page, rack my brain for cool and interesting things to say, read the rubric, re-read the rubric. Thinking of the what, so what, and now what.

So, as a true STEM kid who loves nothing more than following equations,

What + So What + Now What = Blog Post

Let’s start from the beginning…
The What:
After rounding out our first week of working with our organizations, this chill weekend was welcomed by all. Since being here in India, this was my first weekend staying in Bangalore with the intention of just chilling. After a lazy morning, I treated myself to brunch, shopping on Lavelle Road, and a cricket match. Here in India, cricket is obviously huge, and this free match was an opportunity to brush up on my knowledge. The M. Chinnaswamy Stadium was filled with eager fans watching their idols. This particular match was part of the Cricket Crazy League (CCL), a high-energy domestic T20 tournament featuring eight teams. T20 basically translates to short, one-day matches between teams. This particular match was the Rebel Knights Bangalore vs. Nilgiri Tigers. These matches are designed to test team strategies and player fitness ahead of the main season. The reason I know this is because of a friendly gentleman named Vishnu, who wore a striped shirt and a large smile as he explained his favorite sport to three slightly clueless fans just happy to be there. After sitting with him for a few innings, he explained that many of the players on the field are pretty big deals, just like his idol, number 1 from the Bangalore team. He explained that this player was the past captain for India, and for a lot of these fans, getting to see him at his home stadium was a pretty amazing thing.

So What:
So, so what? Now this is the part I struggle with the most. So what, what does me telling all of you this mean? To me, in this moment, it means joy thrives in unscripted moments. Vishnu didn’t have to explain any of it to us, but he chose to – because sharing this passion was more important than fearing judgment or not knowing what to say next. Here in GCIL, I’m reminded to be open and willing to listen, to be passionate about things that mean the world to you, and be unapologetic about sharing them. Be open to meeting new people, experiencing new things, and most importantly, speak up when you don’t know what’s going on or if you need a few things explained again…

Now What:
GCIL keeps teaching me to lean into discomfort. Whether it’s giving correct directions to auto drivers, making sure we fully understand a project that we’ve just been introduced to, or writing blogs and reading them to the whole class. But none of this discomfort comes without huge lessons being learned. As for that equation on writing blog posts, I think I have a new one:

Curiosity – Self Judgment = Growth

The blank page will forever intimidate me. But if Vishnu can turn three strangers into cricket fans (with some understanding of the game), maybe I can turn my chaotic thoughts into half-decent stories – one imperfect draft at a time.

Thank you 🙂

By,
Hope