Blogging is a strange thing. On the one hand, I've had 2 emails in one day from far-flung friends who told me they love getting a glimpse of what our life looks like and what I'm thinking about, which made me feel like the blog is fulfilling its purpose. However, what I don't want it to be is what I have been critical of in other blogs - a "hey, look at me! look how amazing I am" (not that I even think that of myself), or a place to seek validation from friends and strangers that my life is worth living, or an awkward, if not embarrassing baring of the soul to the whole wide world (or anyone who might stumble on the site).
This is not my journal. That thing is sadly in need of a good dusting and some attention of its own, but when it gets that, it will be for me and me alone. I see this as a totally different annal for our family life and to some extent, me; I like having a place to compile photos with a description of a meal or a family day, or a link to something that caught my attention so that it's not forgotten or misplaced among all the days and events to come. But I feel uneasy about this kind of medium being public because it's so easy to give off the impression that "life is but a dream" and I never have days of despair and frustration. Some would see the answer in blogging equally about the crappy days, but quite honestly, that's too personal a thing for me to put out there in any kind of medium except a glass of wine with some girlfriends, or said dusty journal.
The blogs I enjoy the most are blogs like this one. Anyone who knows Blythe will tell you what an amazing girl she is, but she never gives off the impression that she needs people telling her that. She is able to blog about her interests and likes without the least sense of pretension or superiority and since I live 2,000 miles away from her, I love wandering over to her site every few days to see what's going on in the dear girl's head. Her tagline reads "life is worth writing about" which isn't mutually exclusive- everyone's life is valuable and worth celebrating and this is how I hope my friends and family see La Bon Vie. Until I come to terms with this little blog o' mine, though, I guess I'm writing this to salve my own conflicted conscience.
I feel like after 2 years of blogging this is where my blog has come to....a chronicle of sorts of daily doings with our family. I don't want to forget it and sometimes it seems everything goes by so fast! In the past I have found great value, not in the validation of strangers but in sharing some connection with other Mamas facing similar frustrations or joys but unlike you I have not had a great community of women to have a glass of wine with so as that has increased my blogging on these more journal like topics has decreased. Doesn't help that I'm a bit neurotic so my journal rarely gets dusty blogging or no.
ReplyDeleteI wish I could blog like Blythe but alas I don't think I could ever be that cool...no sarcasm intended at all.
I love your blog, no matter what it is because it is you and any more you I get I'm happy!
As I read your comment I realized that my post must have come off a little harsh, which I did not intend. Everyone has their own reasons for blogging and in the end, it doesn't affect me one way or the other why other people do it, or the content they post on their blogs- the ones that I don't enjoy, or feel entitled to criticize, I just don't read or comment on. What I was trying to articulate is that I want to try and avoid the pitfalls I see in the blogworld at large, which may not even be pitfalls to anyone but me. I do think there is an unhealthy amount of "connectedness" people feel to those they meet online and don't really know, but again, that's everyone's prerogative. It's indicative to me of something massively wrong with our culture that, say, you, living in a city with millions of others, find it difficult to meet and connect with like- minded mama's. What does that say about our society at large? And clearly you aren't alone in feeling the way you do and it's great that you have found other people to connect to through blogging. I will say that having a great community of women to have a glass of wine with has required quite a bit of proactive work for all of my friends here; it hasn't just magically happened and it gets more challenging the bigger our families get, but also just as necessary. I'm sorry if I came off judgmental of the way other people blog; I was only trying to explain my own intent.
ReplyDeleteSo appreciate this post-it's what kept me from starting a blog for a long time and still is a struggle for me each time I post. It does always feel a bit unreal to me. However, I continue to find genuine inspiration of the "real" kind from your blog, so keep it up please!
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