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January 12, 2010
To Blog or Not to Blog
I started blogging back in 2003 because when we moved from Chicago to Sydney and I thought it would be an easy way to communicate with friends and family back home. I figured I could post photos and stories, share updates on projects, drop hints about Christmas presents, etc. It was such an adventure moving to the other side of the world and I wanted to share it with our family back in the States. I figured I’d get 5, maybe 10 readers.
Well, as time went on this blog became so much more. I shared not just with my family but with the whole world. Through my blog I’ve reconnected with old friends, made new ones, learned heaps, shared more than I thought I would and even got Boing Boinged! I’ve really grown to love the experience of it. I became part of this group of seemingly anonymous breed of online folk. I once saw a t-shirt that read, ‘I’m totally blogging this’. Every blogger has had that moment where they’ve been in the middle of something and have mentally started writing the post they would put up later. I’ve done it too. There I was, having a euphoric time at a Flaming Lips concert and in my head I couldn’t wait to get home, rip open my laptop and get online. We are a disjointed bunch, we citizens of the blogosphere.
When my Mom passed away a year and a half ago I completely lost my mojo. I just couldn’t think of anything to say. Those who know me IRL will know what a feat that is!
Then I discovered Facebook. I used to use my blog to share a links with a friend, now I just post it on Facebook. I also used my blog to post random thoughts on the state of the world; again, Facebook became my go to place for those things. Some news I want to share with the world? Facebook. Give a shout out to a friend? Yup, you guessed it, Facebook. Facebook is the monster that ate my blogging momentum.
But really, why does anyone blog anyway? Why not just write in a journal and keep it to yourself? Why put it out there for god any everyone to read? Some do it for profit, some to raise their profile, some for popularity or to hopefully be discovered ala ‘Julie and Julia’. But most of us do it because we all have something we want to share with the world. We want to open our mouths (or keyboards), expose some part of ourselves and maybe connect with someone out there. And maybe, just maybe that someone will find it (and us) interesting.
I feel like in the last few years so much has changed for me. I bought a house in a whole new part of Sydney, changed jobs, been through my Mom’s cancer, made peace with parts of my past, reconnected with some long lost (and long missed) friends and now, as I get ready to turn 40, I am going back to University. Crazy stuff.
So how does this blog fit into all of this? That’s the $40 question. I’ve been pondering it for a while now. I don’t feel I need this space to share a link with a particular friend or find a friend or keep a cool link for later or drop a hint or make my first million. Starting this year I’m going to use this space to motivate myself. To keep moving forward. To have a space to reflect on things that I find useful, inspiring, interesting, funny, whatever. And hey, if someone out there likes it too, well that’s cool. I’ll probably write a lot about libraries and studying and studying libraries. Hopefully some more creative stuff will creep in there. (all work and no play makes jack drive an axe through a door) I also want to use this space to practice my writing. The one thing that scares me about going back to University this year is all the writing I’ll be doing. The last few years I’ve written some media releases and really that’s about it. So there might be some loooong posts (case in point) I’m thinking I’ll need to add some more categories and tags and I’ll probably try to play with some newer and emerging technologies (for research purposes of course).
So I guess in the end not much is changing around here. I’ll be posting, some might be reading, a few might even reply. I just wanted to recommit myself to my little corner of the internet.
So…Hi there Blogosphere, I’m back.
-gg (who is quietly optimistic)
Posted by gadgetgirl at January 12, 2010 05:05 PM
Comments
Yay for you starting to post stuff again. This news makes me happy.
And yes, it's a difficult question to answer the whole 'Why does one blog?' thing. I can honestly say it's something I've never quite pinned down, other than I blog cause I enjoy it.
Either way, we're glad your back in the swing of things. Optimistically speaking of course.
Posted by: Jarod at January 12, 2010 05:53 PM
YAY
I have missed you - I don't like facebook and so I have missed your stories and updates
thanks for coming back - and what are you studying?
Posted by: missfee at January 12, 2010 08:16 PM
Blogging is somewhere in between writing a letter and chatting. Though it is less direct than either. It is another way of keeping in touch and has the beauty of being able to cover topics that you might normally never get around to.
Looking forward to the new posts.
Posted by: yewenyi at January 13, 2010 05:25 AM
Thanks so much guys. I really appreciate the support. :)
Posted by: me! at January 13, 2010 07:25 AM
Yay for a return!
Posted by: miftik at January 13, 2010 12:55 PM
Woohoo!
All stuff I've been thinking about too...
BTW, did you hear that the guy who coined the term "blogosphere" died last week?! Us disjointed netizens are getting long in the tooth.
Posted by: Kt at January 13, 2010 01:19 PM
Love that you're blogging again. I've missed your unique insight on so many topics that are otherwise ordinary. Keep up the excellent journalism; you have a talent.
Posted by: jill at January 13, 2010 01:27 PM
Nothing like a good come back.
Posted by: Wing at January 15, 2010 11:10 PM
Good to see you back! I'm trying to do a similar thing with my blog this year — I've found in the past that it's really helpful thing to do when studying. Also, love the powerline photo.
Posted by: crumpet at January 18, 2010 11:05 AM
sweet, good to see you again. if your interested in sharing your space on face book i am under evealeta so give me a ping. hows the new job going, was it the one at the school in mosman or something else?
Posted by: eve at January 18, 2010 08:56 PM