Blogging, Three Years and Counting

In the Days of the Dressmakers. Aunts and Uncles: So How Are We Related?

Blogging, Three Years and Counting

I started my blog on August 7, 2013, more than three years ago. Since then, I’ve published 177 posts–not many in comparison to some of my more prolific blogging buddies. Still, when I started, I couldn’t have imagined writing that many posts.

So why do I do it?

It’s funny; no one has ever asked. If you’d asked me three years ago, I would have said that everyone says writers should have a blog and/or an active twitter account. (I ignored the advice about twitter.) By starting a blog, I was just following advice I’d read and heard in every book and seminar on publishing and marketing I came across.

Before long, though, blogging took on a life of its own. I liked it. I liked turning on my computer every Sunday morning and seeing my finished post come up. I liked reading the comments readers left for me. Unlike writing a novel, which can take years, blogging provides an immediate reward. All I have to do is hit “publish,” and it’s out there.

One surprise was how much I’ve enjoyed the relationship with other bloggers. There’s an unspoken courtesy in the blogging community of visiting the sites of those who visit yours. It’s like reciprocating for a dinner invitation. A fun way to make friends all over the world.

Recently, Kate Crimmins, a blogging friend, explained it this way: “There are tons of people I’ve met (metaphorically) through blogging. Some of them I know better than my next door neighbors.”

From the beginning, I set myself the goal of publishing at least once a week. It’s a self-imposed discipline, but it forces me to find something interesting to write about every single week. Some weeks are harder than others, and I’ve missed a few. But challenges make us stronger. Right?

In college, one of my minors was Philosophy (the love of wisdom). I’ve always been intrigued by the search for the meaning of things. Blogging gives me an opportunity to slow down and reflect on everything I’ve seen and experienced, past and present.

As Socrates said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” Blogging gives me a reason to take a second look.

Thank you so much for visiting my blog. And for those of you who feel so inclined, thank you for your comments.

I’ll leave you with some photos from a recent family trip to Banff in Alberta, Canada. During the last week of August, I met up with all three of my daughters and their families. Here’s the view from our vacation rental.