Most slang dictionaries define "phoning it in" as basically going through the motions because you really don't want to be somewhere in particular doing something in particular at that chosen for you place in particular.
For the past few weeks, I've gotten the feeling that I've been just phoning it in with this blog. I've written quite a few posts that haven't been up to my high standards, but because I have schedule to keep (shades of OCD) with this blog, I haven't really gotten on my case about their inferior quality.
Granted, I do have a built in excuse to use and shamefully, have used that excuse to justify the inferior quality of my posts. The excuse?
Listen Miller, don't you worry about phoning it in, because after all, someone who has written a combined total of 1004 posts for four blogs deserves a break every now and again.Pfft.
This actually bugs me on all kinds of levels. I detest it when I come across it at work because that shows me that deep down you really don't give a F about your job and you're just there for the paycheck. I detest it when I come across it elsewhere in the blog world, because that shows to me that you really don't care about your readers. I detest it on a personal level, because that shows me that you really don't give a F about your family and friends.
But most importantly, I detest it in myself, because no matter what the issue may be or what kind of crap I'm going through, I've always given 100% in whatever endeavor I happen to be doing.
A good example is with my current knee injury. I mentioned in the comments of Friday's post that I have to get an MRI done, and the probability that the MRI will confirm my worst fears (surgery) is almost 100%. This is because the note that the nurse wrote on the form said, "possible torn meniscus".
With this particular injury, I could phone in what I do for the next few months and really no one would blame me for it. However, I have people who are counting on me to battle through this. My wife is looking forward to taking her first real vacation with me since 2008 and not only am I looking forward to that, but I'm looking forward to meeting up with a blog buddy from the left coast during that vacation. So there is no way in hell that I can sit on my ass and phone it in, especially since I'm counting on myself as well, because burn out is not a viable option.
Most of you know that I have a habit of punishing myself on this blog because of perceived (legit or otherwise) shortcomings with my writing and my blogging. So on one hand, this post could be considered to be a public pillorying of a bad habit that I have no business of doing. On the other hand, this post could be considered to be a mea culpa with the promise of better thought-provoking posts to come.
In any event, I leave you with a short blast from a group that was influential in my musical upbringing.
