I was just on Facebook and saw that someone wrote a note that she decided to stop blogging, which was interesting to me, but it made me think because of her reasoning. Why do I blog? The reason I blog may not be for the reason you blog, or even write online. I look things in all of our lives, our books, internet, telephones, cars, bikes, whatever it might be….and see that all of us can take a thing and look at it differently because we are all created very differently. That may sounds really weird, but just think for a minute.
<p> I actually have journaled since I was like 6, writing about my day, writing about things I did, how I feel etc. is very healing for me. As I got older though, (That sounds really grown up!!
) I realized I often used it as a negative outlet and I did not want to do that and instead wanted to write the good things to remember. It was hard for me as I knew no one would ever read it, so there was no accountability. Then I started a blog. For me this is accountability, an audience if they want to be, but enough of one to keep me accountable! i can talk about the books I read and if no one cares, they can skip it! I can tell you what a mess one of the boys made or how they fought all day or how much fun we had at the park. You may not care and you may care. I am writing it for the ones who do care! I am writing it for my mom, who lives 90 miles away and does not see us everyday. I am writing for my wonderful grandmother, so she can see what my daily life is like. i am writing it for myself so I have a writing outlet and keep myself on track with my menus, my lists and don’t lose them! When I go to scrapbook and look back it helps me! <p> If others feel that it is exposing too much of their private lives, then I feel they only have themselves to blame. God has given some people a wonderful gift to be able to write and let people learn through them.(And I am not one of them!!) I know one person who had a wonderful personality whom God wanted to use very much, but through pride, they allowed that to be destroyed and his work for the Lord was destroyed as well. The same here, i felt sad, not because I wanted to read this bloggers writing so much, as actually I felt as she got more popular, the writing was not the same anymore, but sad because sometimes people feel like they have to condemn others for making the decision they did, when really not everyone is the same. <p> Facebook is the "newer" thing, and it is fun to connect and see what everyone is up to. But it will come and go like the next thing…..and blogging may too, but journaling for later generations or for your family has been around for a long time and just because it is on the computer and may change it’s look sometime does not mean it is wrong. <p> Now, I have to go tend to those boys as I have 6 of them to care for tonight and for some reason some of them are quiet and i don’t think that is good! Either they are getting into food like the Apple Cinnamon granola I just made or the Cranberry Zucchuni bread…..or out splashing in a mud puddle….or riding bikes in jammies……so off I go to catch them and put them to bed where they belong! So long……
I've had a lot of these same thoughts myself, Martha! It's hard to really know what to do, especially with the way people jump on and off the train. A couple of years ago the big thing was myspace but now it's been virtually abandoned by most of the friends I used to stay connected with on there. I honestly only keep it because of one or two cousins, and I've stripped my profile down to bare bones. Who knows if someday that will be facebook and we'll be on to some other networking medium?
I've always wanted to journal but been kind of lousy at it until I started blogging. I hope that I always keep up my blogging, but since my blog had to go private (someone I didn't care to have reading it found it) I have decided to start dual posting my entries on facebook as well. I really loved having my blog out there so it was easy to access and now I don't think as many people will make the effort to read it. I enjoy thinking that others might get a little enjoyment out of something I write so that makes me a little sad.
I agree with you, Martha. It is nice to have a place to journal and write things that you want to remember. I am so thankful for things I wrote in my blog. All my paper journals were destroyed in the fire.
I also was saddened that Crystal stopped writing, but I think I understand. David and I have also been talking lately about living it, demonstrating it, rather than just talking about it. Talking and telling is good, and I don't plan to totally stop. I tend to be a 'teller' =) But I have recently seen more and more how important living it is. People see so much by living. More than words can say. And, as mothers, I think that it is important to make sure that we don't miss the here and now, the little ones here in our laps that need our attention. But just writing about it isn't enough.
Like you said, some write for different reasons than others. But there are some who can get caught in the trap of going from blog to blog, reading about life instead of doing it. Writing about stuff instead of doing it.
Just some thoughts triggered by your thoughts….=)