Fun Blogging Monday
I’m having so much fun being your hostess for this week’s Fun Monday! We have several new "faces" this week - Hope ya'll enjoy yourselves. This week's assignment:
I’d like to know more about you, what makes you tick. I’d like to know how you started blogging. Did you keep a diary under lock and key safely hidden as a child? Do you still? Do you share the same things on your blog that you would have, or do, in your diary? Why did you start blogging and why do you continue? May as well throw in any roadblocks you have run into while blogging. If you still have your old diaries we’d love to see them.
I tried to keep my answer short; I know you have lots of blogs to visit today. Feel free to jump to the last paragraph for the ultra short version of why I blog.
I’ve never been good at keeping a diary. I would intend to but always quit after a few days. Who has deep thoughts everyday anyway? The closest I ever came before now, was the spiral notebooks I kept for each of my kids when they were little. Boy are they boring! I stuck to the facts, nothing but the facts - “you keep making me sick” and “when will you stop kicking me” while I was pregnant, “you have a belly button now, that crusty little thing fell off” “you got your first shots today”, “you threw the biggest temper tantrum so far”, “you bit your brother’s toe - what were you thinking?”, etc. once they were actually in the world.When I first heard of blogs I thought they were the stupidest things I had ever heard of! I could not imagine who in the world would want their dirty laundry aired so publicly. What type of person would speak about their lives in such a public way? How could a person speak whatever was on their minds, knowing the world was reading it (or had access to it) and still be honest with themselves? I viewed blogs as little private diaries with their locks ripped off and us peeking inside at the secrets and deepest working of a soul. I viewed bloggers as naïve souls unaware that people were eavesdropping and even judging.
I took a peek at a blog for the first time in 2004. There was a lady on my Lhasa Apso yahoo group who had a little link at the bottom of her emails. I didn’t even know what I was looking at when I first clicked. Her blog was about her garden and her yarn spinning. I went to her site every now and then for a few months and started thinking it might be neat to start my own blog. But what would I say? Would I quit after a month? What would my family think? What if weirdos found my personal information, what if I said something wrong and people hated me? What if the world thought I was boring? Oh the horror!
In March 2005, I decided to start my own blog and the reason I started it was to share our house building process with family in Missouri. Much easier to post photos and information in one place instead of email a few people. I kept my blog settings on “private” afraid someone would find me. Oh my Lord, some stranger might know we’re building a house and …what? Yes, I’m a paranoid weirdo.
It took me a few months to open up and go “public” with my blog. The same month we finished our house and moved into it I got diagnosed with cancer. People are caring and were a great support to me with their comments and emails. Blogging helped me keep my sanity during those times.
I’ve always loved to write and this gives my husband’s ears a rest. I can rattle on and on sometimes so I know he appreciates that he doesn’t have to hear every little detail on my mind. It’s a tricky balance sometimes to know what I can post; I don’t want my children hating me for anything I’ve said about them but I also want to keep it real. I’ve learned, from blogging, that I’m not alone. Many people have went through the same trials I have and many more will follow, I just hope to make the road a little easier for the followers.
So in a nutshell, I started blogging to keep in touch with long distance relatives, I kept blogging for my sanity and now I blog for fun and bloganship (blog companionship). I’ve “met” some of the best people online!
Now if you’re still awake go check out some of the other participants:
- Swampwitch
- Blue Momma
- Chris B
- Her Indoors
- Sayre
- Kaytabug
- Fianna
- Debbie
- Enidd
- Wolfbaby
- Rachel
- Emma in Canada
- Nikki *hosting next time
- Joy T
- SwampAngel65
- Beccy
- Willowtree
- Loony
- Gawilli
- Jeanne
- Dallas
- Debs
- Beckie
- Amy W
- Meleny
- Kiraa
- Arkansas Songbird
- Bethany
- JennieBoo
- Alisonwonderland
- Karmyn
- MJD
- Beth
- Serina
- Susan
- Laura
- Tiggerlane
- Jill
- Robocop
- Hootin' Anni
- Mommyca
- Robin (PENSIEVE)
- Jenni in KS
- Karina
- Tigerlambgirl
- Shama-Lama Mama
- Stephanie
- Steffi
- Heather
THANK for participating this week!
I was a little nervous hosting for my first time, but it went okay, right? Let me know if I don't have your link working or somehow missed you and I'll get you added.
You and I started blogging for very similar reasons, to keep in touch with
family. I never anticipated how it would draw me into a whole new world.
First off, well done with the hosting. You picked a topic that everyone
should be able to write something about.
yes thanks for hosting, its amazing how many strangers i have met that i
now call friends and how addictive blogging has become. love the word
bloganship very good!
Thank you for hosting. I think you have expressed the concerns about
blogging so well. I now want to go back and have a look at some of your
early posts but I'll save that for another day.
Great post Lisa! I have posting too...
Thanks for hosting this week. This was a great topic for Fun Monday, I'm
looking forward to reading everyone's responses. Your fears and your
benefits about blogging pretty much mirror mine!
Well done on your first hosting job!! I loved the topic. When my BFF sent
me links to blogs I just thought they were links to a article she never
called them a blog... I meant to put that in my post. I seriously didn't
know what blogs were or that they existed was this May! I wish I would have
at least done a just the facts journal after the kids were born...
Wow, I think this is a record # of people participating!
I sometimes think about setting up a private blog...one that nobody knows
about so I don't have to self edit because of who is reading. I'm too lazy
to actually go through with it, but still. I never did keep up with those
locked diaries as a kid either.
Ohhh were suppose to do this on OUR blogs :)...I knew that...I was just
testing..ok whatever...
"When I first heard of blogs I thought they were the stupidest things I had
ever heard of!" that made me laugh!
"Who has deep thoughts everyday anyway?"
Thanks for hostin' and keepin' it real!
Thanks for hosting and thanks for getting me into this Fun Monday!
Actually, I need to thank a fellow cacher, Lj&Co. She's the one who told
me about your blog!
OOoooo, I love the word you made up: "bloganship" -- I make up words like
that all the time!
Ooops! Just to make sure you knew it was me, I came back to post my
URL...sorry!
I worry sometimes to how boring is the stuff i post or what if some freaky
weird person trakcs me down? but in the end i keep going.. addictied i
think;)
It's funny, but I don't really care so much about people I don't know in
real life reading my blog. It makes me nervous almost to the point of
being physically ill when I find out someone I really know is reading my
blog. That's when my dry spells and days of silence happen most. I found
out my father-in-law read part of my blog last week and almost didn't post
again for a while. How silly is that? That's one of the reasons I posted
about him the other day--to help me get past that fear. I am so freaking
weird sometimes.
Great job, Lisa! Turned into a great topic.
Great topic. At first I thought, what the hell will I write? But when I
started writing it was so easy. It just went on and on and on. Yes, just
call me queen of the long post! Anyway, great job!
great subject.
I'm sorry I was distracted from getting in and writing - but everyone else
is saying it so wonderfully for me.
Excellent job hosting this week Lisa! I have really enjoyed reading the
Fun Mondays on this subject.
Well, I am glad my reasoning for blogging was not so far off from others.
BTW: Great job hosting.
You are a wonderful host and this was a great topic. I like the idea of
bloganship. This is a new word for me, but very fitting. I think I still am
in the sanity mode right now, but sure enjoy the bloganship!
Thank you so much for letting me participate! You did a great job hosting
and I love your answer.
Thanks for hosting this week's Fun Monday challenge. I have enjoyed reading
the diverse reasons that people blog. I am glad that you have gone public
with your blog...the more there is to share.
I don't know it I already posted a comment yet or not, I'm having a little
of mommy brain right now:o) But thatn you so much for hosting my very first
Fun Monday! It was great, thank you!
Lisa, I just remebered FUN MONDAY, a day late, no less.
Good job on your hosting...
Thanks for hosting! You did a great job and presented a very nice post!
Thanx to all of you guys for your comments and compliments! I had a lot of
fun! I enjoyed reading everyone's posts and am glad it all went well. You
guys made me laugh and think. :)
Please forgive me, Lisa! I had my daughter visiting and have not even had
time to blog! My apologies!! Big round of Applause though for your first
Fun Monday Hosting!!