Wednesday, May 12, 2010

WHY BLOG?


Laundress Sue at Laundry for Six asked this question, "Why did you start blogging? Have you gotten what you wanted?

WHY DID I START BLOGGING?

When I first started blogging it was both a way for me to feel like a published writer without actually being one and a way for me to record my adoption journey to finding my son.

I love to write....I love the actually feel of a pen or pencil in my hand and I have kept a journal since I was 12 years old. I vent and sort out my feelings there.

I do that here, some, but now I use this as a way to record my life raising my son and the daily musings I have about life. Sometimes that includes classroom happenings, or opinions of things I find in the news or sharing my favorite songs or books.

Usually I get about 3 comments her post, but some of my most popular posts have been about my son, adoption haters, give-aways, classroom news, posts divided into multiple parts, lists, WORDLESS WEDNESDAY, and POST IT NOTE TUESDAY.

HAVE YOU GOTTEN WHAT YOU WANTED?

I, like Sue, used to worry about my traffic, getting comments and I wanted to expand my readership. At one point I focused a lot on bettering my blog look and sidebar, in the hopes of drawing more people in. I wanted to earn money on it and be a networking guru, but I quickly learned how slim the chances of that happening were when you can't spend copious hours at it. With my son, husband and full-time job needing more of my attention, I switched my focus. Now, I write for me. I don't worry about traffic or comments and I hope for my 86 followers to someday grow to 100.

One of the greatest blessings from this has been the women I have made connections with through our common bond of infertility and adoption. Women like Ashley, Debbie, Melba, Rebekah, Shannon, Kris and Annie.

I've also found some people that help keep me sane at work, like: A Year In The LIfe of a Teacher, Bluebird's Classroom, It's Not All Flowers and Sausages, Mr. Teachbad's Blog, and Principals Page.

Then there are those that I just enjoy reading, either for the humor or the information they provide. Those include:
Connie, Sheila, Darcie, and Sarah.

I usually have things set to post at least a week or more in advance, but since my mother's stroke I have put my life in a different perspective. I am not as stressed anymore about days falling through the cracks. I try to read and comment on at least 15 blogs a day. Commenting does bring more traffic your way. Personally, I love reading blogs with humor, advice, crafts, personal stories, tips, lists and give-aways.

SO, THE QUESTION FROM SUE, THROUGH ME, TO YOU IS...."Why did you start blogging? Have you gotten what you wanted?

3 comments:

Ashley said...

Aw, thanks for the shout out! The adoptive mama community has meant so much to me. I love reading your blog!!

{sue} said...

Someone else wrote a comment on my post that TOTALLY resonated with me. I started blogging because I felt alone. It is so much easier to find a kindred soul in the vast pool of the internet that in your own backyard sometimes. I am blessed with great neighbors and friends, but I don't always feel as much of a connection as I do with my online friends.

Great post!

Connie said...

Why blog? I had a crazy sister-in-law who talked me into it! Really, I saw how useful it was to stay up to date with your adoption process, so when we were making major life changes, I thought it would be a good way for people to check in on their own timelines. And it has worked out very well! I'm actually planning on converting my blog to a book for my kids. Kind of like scrapbooking, but serves two purposes...the outreach AND the documentation. I love it!