Saturday, October 04, 2008

blogging

I think we all do it. We hop from place to place on this great expansive internet. I have no idea how it works. I just know that I can hop from one thing that looks interesting to another thing that looks interesting and suddenly I've spent the girls' entire nap time looking at stuff that was interesting. Today I was looking for articles to put in the MOPS newsletter. I started with an idea about I Corinthians 13, the love chapter in the Bible, and ended up on mommy blogs. 

This one article made me cry. I love this lady's style of writing and I will be back to her blog, thankful for the relative peace and quiet of my 2 children. This crazy place of blogging take us into the hearts and lives of a huge number of people. I learn from them and they learn from me, even though I won't ever meet them in real life. We share, not knowing really who cares or not (unless you leave a comment). I have friends who say, "I would never blog," like it is some kind of sin we bloggers have fallen in to. After one conversation about blogging, I evaluated my motives. Why do I blog? I started posting pictures and short stories in April of '05 after someone commented that I was emailing too many pictures of my baby. (In truth, I dressed her up as an outlaw and made up stories about her. I really needed to blog.) This friend didn't say how annoying I was in so many words, but I got the idea that people who don't have kids do not want to be bombarded with sweet stories and huge picture files in their email. Even people who have kids don't need to be bombarded. I started to blog so I could share my stories and pictures with whoever cared. My following used to be just my mom and one of the first of my blog friends, Annie. 

Quickly, the blogging trend had caught on and moms post pictures of their precious children and timeless stories all the time. I love the sharing. I also love comments because then I know you care. I've made some amazing friends because of this blog. Why do you stop by? What made you hop to this address? Who watches by blog and logs on in Lebanon (that one is really puzzling me). And if you have a blog, why do you do it? Just curious. Have a great day.

PS I found a great article for the MOPS newsletter, so I didn't waste my entire afternoon. I'll post it on the MOPS blog in a week or so.

9 comments:

Melanie said...

Oh, Alysun - how many hours do I wile away online! Unfortunatly, sometimes, it gets downright irresponsible.

A great post on why to blog. Personally, I also kind of see it as a substitute in lieu of my good-intentioned but never-acted-upon resolve to send letters or call.

I don't feel like we ever knew each other very well in Oregon, but I'm enjoying your blog very much! Thanks for sharing your life with us.

Dan & Hillary said...

Hmm. Good question. Dan started this blog to keep our family/ friends updated on what we were doing, especially when we got preggo because we weren't going to waste money sending out pictures. Now, I blog to share our highlights and lowlights because it is hard to verbalize everything repeatedly. Thanks for the link to the big family.

Lesley Miller said...

I blog for a lot of the same reasons you do-- meeting new people (like you, family that I've never met!) and staying in touch with friends. It's an outlet, an escape, a place to be creative, a place to say what I want, a place that I can share without being intrusive. Afterall, I'm not forcing anyone to read my blog.

I think blogging is fabulous and love reading about your life.

Michal said...

i think that many of us blog for those very same reasons. i love sharing my passion for motherhood with anyone who wants to hear about it. and i don't have any problem admitting that it is hard work to be a mom. i also feel like my blog is a way that i can express my gratitude for the gifts that god has given me and to share my love for him with others without being intrusive or pushy.
and i read blogs because i love people. i love their strengths, i love their weaknesses, i love to laugh and cry with them. so thanks for blogging!

Cooking with Big E said...

I enjoy reading your blog because you're a talented writer and photographer and it's nice to know that I'm not the only Mom who runs into roadblocks at times.

I blog for several reasons. I blog to keep family/friends updated with how we're doing and what we're up to and I know my husband's family in Idaho especially appreciates my effort to keep them in the loop. I also enjoy my blog as a forum for my thoughts and feelings and another place to connect with other people. Plus it's fun!

Mel said...

Hey Alysun,

I'm your follower from Lebanon, but it's misleading. I'm actually in Liberia. I don't get it either? You do brighten my days here with your blog - especially your photos! Thanks for the many smiles!

Take care,
Mel (Phil's friend)

Cathy said...

Your blog always makes me smile too. You are a talented writer and photographer. And, it's a nice way to be connected to extended family. That is why I blog. It is a great way to stay connected, sharing life's ups and downs. It is therapeutic for me. I love it!

Grandma Sherri said...

I love the blog because I get a window into your everyday life that would be impossible from a distance otherwise. I can't beleive how far behind I am in checking it though. Last week with the giant ladies retreat coming I took no breaks at work, worked late every nigh and didn't have the energy to climb the stairs to check the blog at home. Now with the Lunde's here this week... Well Andrea is Shopping Nat is sleeping and I am supposedly watching a video with Benton, so finally a few miutes, but the house looks like those pictures of yours from yesterday!

Lindsay said...

You introduced me to the world of blogging. I remember you announcing at MOPS that if anybody had a blog to link let you know. That was what started me. And I created my own blog.

Yours was the first blog I ever read and is one of my favorites. I have found out a lot about you and realized that in many way we are similar. I love how your blog is very "real".

I think one of the reasons I blog is so that I have a connection with other mom's like me. It makes me feel like I am not alone. I love the comments, too!