HAPPY NEW YEAR, BROS!
I tend to roll my eyes when I start to see all of the New Year’s Resolution posts come out, simply because I’m never good at sticking to my own. That’s my own problem, and nobody else’s, but I still don’t want to write one.
The New Year’s blogging bandwagon that I think I’m going to jump on, though, is the “What I learned about blah blah blah in 2013” one. I’ve seen a few of them about blogging, and it got the old brain a crankin’. So, here we go, dudefriends. I’ll even put the title in bold for you.
What I Learned about Blogging in 2013
My blog is like that one super-understanding old friend you have.
You know, the one who is understanding, even if you haven’t talked in a month and a half?
Now, I’m not going to say “Guys, I learned that it’s okay to not blog for a while,” because I learned that a long time ago. Nobody is such an amazing blogger that people are expecting an actual apology for a longer-than-average break in blog posts. What I did learn this year, however, is that my blog is there waiting for me all the time, and is always of great comfort to me. I’m planning on a little (FALSE, not little) revamp here pretty soon, and going through all of my old posts has been both tedious (the actual work part) and incredibly enjoyable. Reading some of those old posts feels a lot like chatting on a couch with an old friend, holding some kind of beverage, and wearing your favorite comfy pants. I’ve chuckled to myself, gotten a little weepy, and gotten annoyed all over again, and it’s been a nice reminder that it’s always here for me, and always available.
Blogging keeps me in check.
Life with kids (and even without, I’m sure) can just fly the frick right on by without so much as a pause for breath. It’s easy to continue down whatever path you’re on without stopping to evaluate your direction. Knowing that “I should really write a blog post,” tends to force me to stop and think. Cripes, I’ve been in a crappy mood. What’s the problem? Or, Wow. I can’t think of anything to complain about. This is awesome, and this is awesome, and so is this.
I am not a giveaway blogger, but some people are. That’s okay.
I’ve struggled with this idea since the beginning. I have never wanted an abundance of ads down my sidebar, and I’ve always turned my nose up at blogs full of product reviews. You guys, my blog is about words and ideas and important stuff, you know?
Okay, that’s fine. But that doesn’t make me better than anybody. It makes me different, and what have our parents been telling us since the beginning of time? “If everybody were the same, the world would be a very boring place.” That one is still hard for me to swallow, even as an adult . . . regardless of how true it is.
I’ve met a lot of people who create some awesome things, and I’m planning on featuring them and doing some giveaways this year. And that’s okay, Lauren. These things are handmade and original, and fit in with the personality of my blog.
Buuuuuutttttt the giveaway for Shout wipes that other blogger is doing? That’s okay, too. Why? It doesn’t matter what you think. They think it’s important, so . . . move along. Nothing to see here.
I have created something legitimate.
Blogs are very plentiful right now. There are bajillions of blogs out there. It’s easy to feel like you’re wasting time on something frivolous when there are so many, and you’re not even making money off of yours.
I think we all know that money isn’t the only thing that makes something worthwhile, but it can be hard to remember that sometimes. I may have a business that you can access from my website, but the blog itself doesn’t even vaguely resemble a business blog. That just doesn’t matter. I’ve catalogued memories and feelings that would simply have disappeared into the ether, and I’m very grateful for that.
I think that blogs are an epically important medium buried under a disguise of high-heeled boots and decorative scarves.
Nice to look at, fun to wear, but not all that practical.
I’ve gone through phases where I felt that way about my own blog . . . and I’m glad I’ve gotten over it.
We, bloggers, are preserving words. The fact that they are read on a screen doesn’t mean that they are any less powerful than words found on pages. It can mean many things to many people, but as a stay at home mom, it means that I have ownership of something when I feel like everything is shared and nothing is mine. We are creating spaces in which our own voices can live, rather than watching them disappear into the steam rising up from a pot of macaroni and cheese.
I should probably stop typing now.
What about you guys? If you have a blog, what did you learn? If you don’t have a blog, what did you learn? If you don’t have a blog but want to start one, what would you like to learn?