My first post was early September 2006. When I first started blogging, I did not know what I wanted or if I would continue to blog or not. The first year of blog posts were me stumbling around trying to "find myself". I was actually doing just that in real life, so it stands to reason my blogging skills were disjointed and unable to proceed beyond a certain point.
That is why I am in awe of some of the blogs I read regularly now that are only a year in existence. The bloggers are either complete brainiacs or they are more mature than I was after one year of blogging. I am so pleased to find the talent in buckets- full throughout the blogosphere. I am more of a reader than a writer; however, writing has turned out to be good for me. I have found a way to write about things that have deep meaning for me by writing in the third person.
At last I have come to a place that I know what I want regarding my blog. I am comfortable with my writing and with the lovely people I am meeting in other blogs. I am learning new techniques and hearing other viewpoints and find myself on the growing- up bandwagon of bloggers. This is a wonderful ride.
Being secure in myself shows up in what I choose to do in the blogosphere. I read many blogs and comment when I choose. I do not feel pressured to leave a comment and I do not feel obligated when I comment. It is precisely because it is my choice that blogging is so much fun. Not all the subjects are fun; some are solemn and heart rendering. This is life.
When people read my posts and leave comments I enjoy reading the comments more than I am able to express. Not for the recognition. Simply for the joy of reading the wonderful and humorous or loving and caring comments people choose to leave me. It is amazing to me that we people of different cultures and backgrounds meet in our blogs and find things to share and appreciate about each other. Why this doesn't happen in real life as easily as it is done in the blogosphere I have no answer.
If someone puts a link to my blog on their blog I am grateful and pleased. That too is not mandatory. Never will be as far as I am concerned. I am not in a competition with anyone to have more followers or more comments or more awards. For me, the joy comes in the total experience. The more I read other blogs and the more we each find our own niche and comfort zone, the more we are able to write posts of interest that will find more and more people reading and so on. See, I get it now, and it only took three and a half years.
Answer to Trivia Question:
Little girls are made of sugar and spice and everything nice.
What are little boys made of?
Answer: Frogs, Snails, and Puppy Dog Tails!
42 comments:
great post. i have a few ideas but i still haven't figured it out completely. for the first 8 months i was finding myself as well. the last 8 months it blew up, now i am figuring it out again. lol.
I agree with everything you said here!
For me, the blogosphere has become a place where I gather around a group of people who, although not like me, enrich me with their posts, comments, and you, my dear, are one of them. I look forward to your comments, and your posts, because they matter to me. Glad you finally figured it out for yourself. :-)
I am also in awe of some of the bloggers I run across and I love reading about the varied points of view and experiences that are written. I will never be super-blogger, but I enjoy my very little corner of the blogosphere. I started blogging to help me, as my title says, live my own life more consciously. I believe blogging has helped me to do that and the serendipity has been the pleasure of "meeting" other bloggers. I write my blog for me, so I will never be a competitor, but I enjoy being a participant. Thanks for this very thoughtful post.
You just helped me to decide something.
I too am (sometimes) more of a reader than a writer. I don't have to worry that I don't post that often at the moment.
Sorted.
:-)
What a great post and a great attitude. I'm still finding my way, which is part of the reason I'm so grateful for both your blog and your comments on mine. I look forward to every new post. You write with honesty, clarity and a generous heart. You inspire me. My only question is: How could we all have forgotten frogs?
I agree, great post! I love this wonderful, supportive blogger community we're in! I find that the same cannot be said for the other aspects of the literary world. The little experience I've had with that community has been quite catty and competitive, indeed. Give me my blogger friends ANYDAY!
Thanks for the post, have a great week!
Love the Blog picture! Yes, I agree, we somehow find inspiration in the blog-o-sphere. I too am in no competition, I enjoy the vast buffet of information available by us regular people!! I often learn something new every day. xoxo
Technobabe,
You are so sweet. I really appreciate your support and encouragement. Thanks for dropping by. Your words have brought me a great big smile.
I'm so glad you are here in Blogland.
I blog for me too. I was told to keep a journal in my recovery.. and I rather let out it to the whole universe.. lol.
Reading your writing has really been nourishing to me.
I feel we are all connected to each other in this world.. I'm glad i had the opportunity to 'meet' so many I otherwise would not have.
I have real friends in my real world.. that I talk to in person and on the phone.....BUT there is something about the written words.. that you can see within another person's soul.
hugs..
You hit the fork in the road, which we all do in blogosphere.
There are those who do it for money, popularity, numbers and those of us who just do it with no expectations.
Irregardless glad your on the road, I very much enjoy reading what you have to say!
Isn't it grand...
Oh, by the way taking your advice on the Diana thing. Haven't heard anything though.
I liked reading this post. It gave me some thoughts and ideas. I've only been blogging for six months and definitely don't have anything figured out. Feeling my way like you. But overall, I find it's a supportive, thoughtful community, and it keeps me coming back day after day. Thanks for visiting my blog, TechnoBabe. We share an interest in photography and honesty, among other things, and I delight in your comments.
I love this, Techno! You've described perfectly how blogging is/has been for me, too. This is a wonderful ride, isn't it? ;)
Blogging has been positive for me. People have remarked I have the best commenters in the world. It's true! I'm awed by the support I have received!
And it is FUN to read all kinds of blogs. I don't limit myself to people who have "problems"..LOL
At first I just blogged to keep up with family, then it somehow took off and I found it a wonderful place to process things going on and build a community.
BTW, everything I could find suggests that the original Mother Goose rhyme from the 19th century was "Snips" instead of frogs. It came from a longer poem called "What are Folks Made Of."
if blogging ain't fun for the bloggee, it ain't fun for the reader. you've got it juuuust right!
Well now, i should have read your post before i wrote mine :) because indeed you make total sense to me. You are, where i am trying to be.
Glad to hear that you are in a good place. I can't imagine what it must be like to be blogging for so long. I am just going to be a year. You have come a long way.
How do you keep going and after so many years how many people do you follow? Continued success.
I love that you are one of the bloggers out there that feels like I do. The friendships I have made while blogging are the best part of it. I read blogs and commented for a long time before I started my own.
It's so nice when you hit your groove and find the style of writing and blogging that works for you and makes you happy, isn't it?
My 2 year anniversary is next month. I can't believe it! I feel like I just started blogging!
It is a pleasure to watch your blossoming in the blogging world. I can see you gain comfort weekly!
Very well said. I agree, but I think I look forward to comments a little bit more than I should. :)
Thanks for being my blog buddy, TechnoBabe!
I started blogging in April of last year and I had no idea what I was getting into. I had never even read a blog before, but I knew I needed something in my life that was missing. I felt alone and out of sorts transitioning and adjusting to motherhood. I did not realize that blogging was so interactive, but it is this interaction that I have come to love more than anything else about blogging.
I was also amazed by the talent that abounds. I consider every person that I follow to be a talented and gifted writer. It is humbling to have these beautiful, creative, insightful people read anything that I write. It has also given me a new found acceptance of myself. I can not worry about measuring up to the skills of others. All I can do is be me and express myself as best I can.
This was a wonderful post and reminded me of how grateful I am to be here. I'm glad I found you, I learn from you all the time.
I completely agree with you!!! I love reading blogs and only comment when I have something to say. If I have to think about what comment I should make then I don't make a comment. I think that's ok.. sometimes we can read a blog just to read and not comment. As far as my blog goes I post when I have something I want to share.
Wow 2006. I bet there are lots more bloggers now. I'd be interested to read about how the blogosphere has changed since then.
I've had my blogs for just under but it feels longer and I've met so many great people. I'm mainly into photoblogs but there are so many types of blogs. It's amazing.
Loved this post. I'm still stumbling about as far as blogging, but it's fun and I love the relationships.
One reason, I think, we all get along so well here is because there is really nothing cultural in the way including money, religious beliefs, political affiliation, language, familial differences, etc.
Also, when a person reads a blog (or any other text communication), they tend to put their biases into the words. Most communication (93%) has nothing to do with actual verbiage, so there's a lot to fill in. The connection, while not deep, feels very strong. (http://humanresources.about.com/od/interpersonalcommunicatio1/a/nonverbal_com.htm)
Many bloggers don't like to think about this last fact or admit it because it tends make online connections seem less.
I thought about splitting my blog into four, one for poetry (which most folks don't care for), one for family stuff, one about personal philosophy and one some sort of day-to-day journal.
Course, I can't keep one blog straight, so that's not a very good idea. :)
Cheers,
SLC
Hi Techno-- Life has been a little crazy lately and I haven't been around much but I'm so glad I came back today and read this wonderful post. You stated perfectly what blogging SHOULD be! Well said and congratulations on blogging for so long and for having such a healthy attitude about it.
Your blog is a pleasure to read, even when the topics are sometimes difficult. You have a wonderful writing style that I enjoy very much. I hope you keep blogging and meeting great people and enjoying the process for a long time to come.
Now I'm off to catch up on your posts that I missed. Have a great week.
jj
I totally agree and that is why I started blogging anonymously - I had no idea where I would go with the posts and figured that in a country that is censored I could end up on the first plane hime... as it happens I am still here. But still anonymous!!
Glad that you have found your niche, I love stopping by here :0)
Very well put, I couldn't agree more. I have to confess it irritates me when someone I don't know breezes into my blog declaring, "Follow me, I am following you!" WHY ON EARTH WOULD YOU WANT TO COLLECT PEOPLE JUST FOR THE SAKE OF IT?? Awards and memes don't appear on my site, it's not that I don't appreceiate them, it's simply because that's not what I choose to make my blog about. And that is part of the joy of blogging, having your own individual site to reach out and to touch other like minded friends with. I deeply value the comments and feedback from those I have grown to respect, care about and trust - it's priceless, isn't it? (hugs)
Love the post! I just enjoy blogging for the "therapy" it gives me---being able to put my thoughts out there into the ether to see what comes back.
And meeting so many fabulous people has been a bonus too!
Gee, I didn't realize this but we both started blogging at about the same time. I'm still very much in the beginner stage, knowledge-wise, with blogging though. Probably will remain there for the duration too I suppose. But like you, much as I enjoy receiving/reading comments, I'm not competing in any way, shape or form with my blog. Just posting when something hits me, something I think is interesting -or maddening too at times and often, commenting too in that same manner. Keep moving on with your blog just as you have been and it's really great the feelings that come through via blogging and/or reading blogs too, isn't it?
I like to read your comments and your posts. I mostly use Google Reader now which is where I follow the content of other bloggers. I think that there may be way to link to that on my side bar.
hey we started within months of each other - I got 569 posts how many do you have??? - just kidding, I don't care and even had to look up my number.
You are absolutely correct to approach blogging as a fun adventure and not a competition or quick money thing. I do have some ads displayed but I don't expect much from them and so far it's good that I didn't expect much.
It needs to be fun and so far it is. I put my background of my blog on a link up there. Basically, it was to share among a group that was going through a lay-off/shutdown.
I do like the recognition given in comments. I see it less as recognition of my talent but as more of common enjoyment of something in my world.
"...people of different cultures and backgrounds meet in our blogs and find things to share and appreciate about each other. Why this doesn't happen in real life as easily as it is done in the blogosphere..."
I actually think this does happen in the real world but you need to travel to find it. My belief is world peace could be achieve if we could all talk to each other one-on-one.
BTW - do you like long comments? I hope so.
great post, with words of honesty....I love it !
I came by from Grace was calling and I didn't pick up's blog. I relate to what you are saying. My year anniversary is coming up and the whole blogging thing has been an adventure. It is definitely has become more than I thought it was going to be on so many levels. It is a way to connect with and learn from others. I love reading comments, too.
I try to be free and let my blog change with me as I change.
Thanks for sharing and nice to meet you.
Blessings,
Tammy
Great post! I was sent over by Lisleman. He told me about your post. I'm feeling pressured lately. It's easy to post about the good stuff life has to offer. My life is full of ups and downs and I feel awful blogging about the bad stuff but that's basically why I started. To get stuff out of my head and off my chest.
It's therapy for me.
I'm so glad we met! I wish I had more time to read blogs everyday like I used to. I miss it/them. I've met some wonderful people all over the world.
I just realized reading through the comments that we have A LOT of the same friends. Yay for us! They're all good people.
Hugs and love,
Green-Eyed Momster
I agree with your entire post. You said it in more words than I did the other day but if I had gone further with it, I would have said pretty much the same thing. The fact that blogging is whatever you want it to be with no expectations or demands is what makes it so appealing.
This is the best post I've read in a while... I feel the same way. I just started my blog... mostly as a way to vent... to get some of the hurt out... and also to interact and inspire others... hopefully a long the way... I will stop by often if only to say hey and keep it up:)
Since I'm only a "once a week poet blogger," I can only look at other blogs and be impressed at how people do it. It is a good feeling to meet good folks like you.
You have, very much, the right attitude. It should be fun for you, first, and if it is, then others will like it. That's my theory, anyway.
Lovely blog and stunning pics...come check out my blogs if you like...I come and go, but at the moment am really enjoying my Purseket Blog...a bit of fun about how to organise your bags, your life etc.
My other blog is mainly about my family. I am thinking of starting another one one about 'this and that'. Things that cross my mind and just want to develop further by writing about them.
Life has so many twists and turns, so I like to keep my blogs fairly light and fun.
Tricia
I think you are a wonderful writer, and I have enjoyed reading several of your recent posts. Like you, I wonder why in this big world of blogging it is easier for us to connect than it is in real life sometimes...
I think I am at a crossroads in my blogging, trying to determine which direction to go next. Whether I end up in a full-time job/career shortly will also determine the direction my blog goes. Whatever direction, it will be interesting to me, and hopefully, to my readers!
Keep up the great posts here on your blog... they are quite introspective and I love them.
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