A little while back a friend of mine asked me this question; “Why do you blog?” I looked at her blankly because I really didn’t have an answer. That whole day I kept asking myself “Why do you blog?” This friend of mine is a good 15 years my junior and she does not participate in social media. She doesn’t have a facebook account, a blog, a twitter account, a google account or a Pinterest account. I think the reason my friend asked me that question is because she is feeling the pressure to social media as all of her friends have Facebook, twitter and a host of other social media accounts. So back to why I blog; I really don’t have one answer. I’m not the most private person in the world; actually I tend to tell too much. So does being a blogger make me narcissistic? I wonder sometimes if my friend thinks that I suffer from narcissism. I’m getting more private as I get older, but I sometimes need a sounding board or a shoulder to cry on. I’m blessed to have good friends and family who are always there for me. Maybe blogging is an extension of that support, after all you do make new friends blogging. People who have never met connect to one another because of the stories and experiences they share. Is blogging just dirty laundry, well some bloggers share dirty laundry. My personal feeling is that most bloggers are just honest story tellers. Like the aunt or the uncle who sat around the camp fire telling stories; that’s what the community of bloggers are – story tellers. The funny thing is, when people find out I blog they kind of look at me like I have two heads. I guess they don’t understand the need to share stories, experiences or life. Back to my friend’s question, “why do you blog?” when I really give some thought to this question, one word keeps popping into my head and that word is “voice.” Blogging gives me a voice; in a world full of people afraid to be individuals or stand out from the rest, blogging gives me just that, a voice to say what I want to say without being judged. If someone doesn’t like what I have to say, they don’t have to read my blog or post a comment. My own personal experience has been one of support; I’ve sought out blogs that I enjoy and through comments and “likes” I’ve become a part of a much larger community and I love it. Of course there are limits to what I blog. I don’t share everything, there are some things that are left behind closed doors in the secret compartment in my head. However, my blogging can be useful in dealing with my children. The blogging world makes my children nervous because every time they do something silly or something to get themselves in trouble, the first thing they say to me “are you going to blog this mom?” Kinda like Santa Claus, “better not be naughty or else Santa’s not coming.” The beauty of blogging is I blog all year, Santa only comes once a year! “Better be good or else I’ll blog it.” Maybe that’s the answer; I blog to keep my children in line!
*Pictures taken at Dirty Laundry Vineyard in Summerland, BC
MOMWHEARINGLOSS 