why i love blogging

Somewhere else in the blogsphere, in the pretty, pink section, there is a party going on entitled "Why I love blogging." I'm not participating officially, but unofficially, I wanted to weigh in. I started out in the pretty, pink section and love the creativity there. And then I found I wanted to have this voice, this real comment on my life, which isn't always so pretty or pink and I came here. I don't think this will turn into a segment to be recorded for the NPR program, This I Believe, but I've only started to write, so who knows!

A virtual friend posted about how no one wants the real answer to "How are you?" Actually I do want it . . . I don't listen very well to a litany of physical aches & pains, and I don't talk about my own either. But the other answers, the real ones about how your kids are really doing, or how crazy your life is or how you just did this amazing thing and you have to brag. . . well those are the things I do want to hear.

There's a certain "let it all hang out," 60's honesty that appeals to me. It seems blogs encourage this. Maybe it's self-indulgent. But then the 60's had a serious self-indulgent component along with peace, love, equality and the women's movement. There's a lot my generation has to answer for and a lot of good we can be proud of. Something about a weblog allows, encourages, forces one to share things. And I love it.

I see humor and irony in all sorts of odd things and circumstances. In real life try noticing someone's kid do something funny and kidlike, in say TJ Maxx, like crawl on the floor near your stall in the woman's bathroom. Remark on it to the mom, even sharing that you find it funny and you get the feeling the mom would be happier if you had just stayed quietly in your stall til they left!

In the blogosphere, commenting on a kid crawling on the floor in the ladies room is required. The funnier your telling, the better. See the irony in it, the humor, the relief it's not your kid or oh my it is my kid and what if he or she turns into a peeping tom. Here no one rolls their eyes or wishes you had stayed quietly in your stall! This is a community I really enjoy belonging to! It's a place I get to read stories, tell stories, see pretty pictures and make friends, even if I never actually meet them. There's feedback and love and a real pay-it-forward attitude.

And here I get into the "this I believe" part, I think people are basically good. And over and over I see that -- in really supportive, super supportive comments on posts where life is not as nice as the author wants, from people who may or may not have ever met said author! Or someone will compliment a stranger on her artwork and photos. Or friends are made by participating in art swaps where the generosity of the items sent is amazing and way over what anyone was expected to give. Both in the comments and the posts, this goodness and generosity comes out. I like being part of that. That's why I love blogging.

Oh and its a great place to hone one's writing ability!