One of the things I've noticed whenever I read articles about blogging is how everyone talks about this "blogging community." To be honest, when I first heard about that, I was a little skeptical. How can blogging (which seems to be quite a solo endeavor) and community go together?
Over time I realized that blogging (and all writing, really) can be lonely. Here I am sharing my thoughts with no way to know if anyone is really reading them or what people are thinking. It's a one-man show, my own little stage. My words go out to the world, but a conversation is supposed to be two-way.
Then my wife started a blog. It opened a whole new avenue of communication. I mean, we share everything, but there's something special about writing. And there's something different about seeing how a person presents herself to the world. I read her latest post about parenthood and Christmas--all stuff that we had talked about before. Yet, in a way it was new. I was seeing these same thoughts poured through a different lens, carefully worded to carry the matters that weighed on her heart. I got a chance to hear her speak without my incessant interruptions and questions. Rather than seeing the quick response of being put on the spot, I heard the thoughts that had a chance to stew and grow in her mind. Through her writing, I see the introvert in her.
Sometimes I wish more of my friends blogged, simply so that I might have the chance to read their thoughts on the screen (and maybe engage them in a conversation). Sometimes I imagine a little blogging community where we converse on various thoughts through our posts and comments. Facebook memes are a dime a dozen, but a blog post requires time and thought to write. To me, that's gold.
This led me to two thoughts. One, I want you all to know that comments are always welcome here. Questions, criticisms, encouragements, your related blog posts, etc.--just so long as it's kept friendly, I welcome the chance to converse with you.
Two, for all those who like to blog about life, family, theology, and/or stories, I want to give you the chance to put a link to your blog in the comments below. Maybe include a short description of what your blog is all about.
A writer's worst fear is that his words will be nothing more than a shout into the void. His greatest dream is to know that his words impacted one person and started a conversation that will live on long past the words "The End."
I always enjoy your posts, so it's nice to know that I can comment. :) I always appreciate it when people comment on mine, so I should know that the same goes for the majority of bloggers! You're right, blogging forms a great community. Thanks for the link to Brittany's blog.
ReplyDeleteI can go ahead and give the link to my blog ... it's mainly about stories and literature, but I mention other things from time to time, like Biblical and Jewish holidays ... everything in my life is so wrapped up in my writing that I can't really divide it!
http://kelseysnotebookblog.blogspot.com/
Thanks, Kelsey! I know, sometimes it can seem intimidating to comment on someone else's blog, even when you know that they are probably just as eager for comments as you are.
DeleteThanks for the link to your blog. Let's see...I think the comments will accept html, so let's see if we can make the link clickable: Kelsey's Notebook