5 Questions
I saw this over at Dawn’s and it dovetails with some questions I have received lately (here and IRL)about whether or not I will be closing up shop and why I blog.
1.) Why did you start a blog?
I think I started blogging because I was very lonely. We were living in a new city and had few friends here. If that wasn’t enough, I was the very first person among all our friends to get pregnant and have a baby. There was no one who could share the suck that is learning to be a parent. It was a really hard time.
2.) Why do you continue to blog?
I love my blog. I love the friends I have met here (both IRL and online). I like getting feedback on things I am thinking through. I like going back to see what the hell I was thinking in the past (even though it is often embarrassing). I like it when people think I am funny. I like having a place to vent. I like meeting new people. I like opening my email and seeing new comments. I like knowing that someone will stumble on this blog and know they aren’t crazy or they aren’t the only one who ever felt how they feel right now. I like helping people battle the scourge that is yucca plants. Basically, I blog because I like it and the pros far outweigh the cons. If it wasn’t enjoyable any more, I would stop. Right now, blogging makes my little world better.
3.) Do you have a blogmother/blogfather?
My interest in internet communities started with the old Hipmama and Mamatron boards, but I rarely participated there. I read blogs for maybe a year or so before I started blogging. Dawn was one of the first blogs I read when I still lived in San Francisco and now we are real-life friends. Most of the others I originally read are now long gone.
4.) Any downsides to blogging?
Well, there was this incident. That sucked. There is also the double-edged sword of blog-drama. It can be fun for a while, but then it just feels yucky. I have always been someone who has the unfortunate tendency to take things a step or two too far then regret it later and blog drama certainly feeds that impulsivity. I think I have managed to stay out of the fray for quite a while now. Trolls used to bother me, but now they really don’t. I moderate commenters who are just trying to be assholes, so that helps. It also used to freak me out when I would meet people for the first time and they already know all about me because they read my blog. Now I am used to it, so it rarely bothers me any more.
5.) Do your ‘real world’ friends know you blog?
I used to keep it a secret, but I ended up with so many friends that I met online the two worlds began to overlap. Right now, pretty much everyone knows about my blog except some relatives who are rarely online (though I suspect my sister will eventually find this — Hi there! Please don’t mention this to Mom and Dad! You know they would not approve!). Most of my friends know where they can find my blog if they want to. I don’t link my name to the blog to protect my future job prospects (HA!) and to keep a tiny shred of anonimity for Mr. A and the girls.
July 23rd, 2008 at 3:56 am
Well, I love your blog, and your honesty, so I really hope you’re not going to shut it down. As far as I’m concerned your blog is quite a breath of fresh air.
July 23rd, 2008 at 5:48 am
Yeah-my reasons for starting my blog were very different from yours-I started reading and then commenting on blogs and realized I had a lot more to say. But I went from anonymous to being well read in my neighborhood-I did share the link with other adoptive families in the neighborhood, and my knitting circle-but the internet is also a small place. One of your readers (hi Meg) stumbled on my blog through a comment and noticed a link to the blog of one of her closest friends since school days, one of my knitting buddies.
And I love that serendipity, those fabulous connections. And thus, I blog. And many of my friends read. But the day my sisters find it? OMG. You will see my blog go up in smoke.
Btw, my mother is afraid of email (privacy) so that will never happen. And I suspect my dad is already reading my blog, but he will never tell anyone, and that’s fine.
And I do read your blog mostly because I “like” you (in the internet way, not the stalker way), despite our differences, and I love your honesty. Thanks ~lmc
July 23rd, 2008 at 3:30 pm
Love your blog (internet way not stalker way like Lisa said). It was the first blog I read and it introduced me to the blog world. I found it through that huge international adoption yahoo group a few years ago. It was a breathe of fresh air to find someone with similar views. You have written very intelligent and thought provoking posts (especially about adoption) that have pushed me to action and resulted in me rethinking my position on issues. Thank you. Plus I like your humor too. Although I have a blog, I’ve not posted anything of substance or probably worth reading yet which is why it’s not listed. It takes me hours to write one opinionated paragraph because of editing/rewriting. Plus I’m shy. Anyway. Thank you for sharing your blog!
July 23rd, 2008 at 6:30 pm
Oh man I remember that incident with the stalker who screwed with your life. That shiz scared the crap out of me. By the way, you handled that deal beautifully. I can’t remember if you ever nailed down who the pest was - am dying to know if you did. I’m glad you blog, have always enjoyed your stuff - wish you wrote more actually. I also am always using your blogroll rather than making my own bookmarks. I’m lazy daisy.
July 23rd, 2008 at 7:05 pm
This was a great post for a number of reasons! I learned more about you, you are incredibly honest, you addressed issues beyond you and your blog, you write in an interesting and engaging style. TY