January Blogger Spotlight

Welcome to my new series in which I spotlight one of my followers. I’ve always had a deep fascination with people: how they became who they are, the struggles they won, and the hard lessons they learned over time. All of these scars and stories make up a person’s life. While I think it’s important to reflect on your own journey, it is also equally important to hear other voices and see diverse perspectives. In this series, the spotlighted blogger will be able to tell their story through curated questions I’ve asked of them.

When I came up with the idea for this series, I could think of only one person to start us off. In late 2020, I decided to give this blog thing another shot (of many) and Pete was one of the first real readers that followed, commented, and kept coming back to see what I’d publish next. He even shared one of my posts on his blog and that post remains the highest ranking on my site to this day. 

Without further ado, I introduce you to Pete Springer.

A Little About Pete…

What is something most people don’t know about you?
Most people don’t know that I used to be a shy kid because I’m extroverted now. As an elementary teacher, I could work with just about any child, but I took special pride in helping timid children blossom. There was no better feeling than watching children grow emotionally and feel good about themselves.

What was your biggest fear growing up and did you overcome it (if so, how)?
Self-confidence and learning to get out of my comfort zone. Going to college and living on my own forced me to grow up. Once I felt good about myself, I projected that same feeling to the people around me.

What do you always have with you no matter where you are?
Hmm, that’s a tough one. I can live without my phone, but I pretty much go crazy when I don’t have my computer.

What is one thing you do now that you didn’t do 10 years ago?
Make time for myself. I used to try and care for everybody else in my life (family, friends, students, etc.), but the one person I failed to look after was me and my health suffered. Now I exercise, eat right, and spend time doing things that bring me joy.

What’s one thing you want to be better at?
This one is easy. I want to get better at writing novels for children. It’s my new form of teaching, and I am loving the challenge of learning a new skill. I used to write when I felt like it. Now, I write something every day, and I love the creative challenge of story writing.

Pete’s Advice On…

Career: Do you believe it’s important to work at a job you love or is it just a means to an end?
Find a job you love. We spend 1/3 of our day at work. Happiness is everything in life.

Money: Does money buy happiness?
Not by itself. Finding someone to love is way more important. On the other hand, I’ll take my middle-class life over poverty.

Life: What’s one thing you would tell your younger self?
No regrets! Don’t play it safe. Better to have tried and failed instead of not putting yourself in the game.

Parenting: What is one parenting advice you would give to a new parent?
Provide a home filled with love. That means making time for your kids, teach them to be good people, and to be independent. Don’t do everything for your kids but be there for them when they need you.

Blog Thoughts…

When did you begin your blogging journey, what was your first post about, and how would you describe your blog to someone who’s never read your content?
March of 2019. New Beginnings. I blog about whatever is on my mind. My favorite posts to write are about the special people in my life or other human-interest stories that touch me.

Why did you decide to start blogging?
I wrote a book about my teaching career (called, They Call Me Mom: Making a Difference as an Elementary School Teacher), and a friend suggested the next logical step might be to start a blog. I had never thought about it until then. I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it. I’ve met many cool people from around the globe that I never otherwise would have met.

Who was the first blogger that followed you that still posts/follows you today?
I had to go back and look but one of the first was Debby Gies (Pen name D.G. Kaye). A couple of others came before her, but they disappeared a long time ago. I consider Debby a friend and another one of the most supportive bloggers around. 

Who was the first blogger that you followed that still posts today?
I’m not positive, but it might have been Sally Cronin at The Smorgasbord Blog Magazine. She is the queen of supporting other bloggers and a true ambassador. She is one of my role models in the blogging world. 

What was your most recent post about?
Overcoming fear. I had been thinking about writing a post on this topic, and then Shelly at Growing with Spawn made a YouTube video about it. Shelly, a self-described introvert, started a YouTube channel and made an amazing video about overcoming fear. I contacted her and asked if I could share her video with my own thoughts. She was on board, and the rest is history. Stories like hers are inspiring to me, and I hope that others will watch her video and feel the same way. Courage is getting out of your comfort zone, and she nailed it out of the park!

Who was the first blogger that commented on your most recent post? Please tell us a bit about them/their blog/how you came to know them/why others should follow them?
The first one who commented was writer/blogger John Howell. I have been following John for about a year. One of the things that first attracted me to him was that I am trying to do what he has done. I’ve read two of his books, and John is an excellent writer. I believe he became an author in his 70s after he had a successful business career for more than 40 years. It’s comforting to know that at age 63, I can follow a similar path.

Thank you so much for sharing, Pete!

Stay tuned to read about my next featured Blogger in February.

Liked this post? Check out other popular posts on my blog:

• The Lonely Block
• The Write Stuff
• You Got It: The Turning Point Series
• All the Things In Between
• Look At the Bloody Baboon!