Wednesday, November 19, 2008

The Return of the Reluctant Blogger

I wasn't sure if or when I would return to blogging. I suspected that the urge to do it would be great, but that the time to do so would be lacking. I was right.

Over the last few weeks since I posted my goodbye post I've had many occasions when I wanted to blog - most notably when Barack Obama was elected 44th President of the United States.

For a few days I was speechless. I could do nothing more than weep tears of joy as I listened to and read the words of others describing their feelings. Then, on the 4th day after the election I wrote a post to an email group I belong to and I very much wanted to turn that email into a post here on this blog. But, I knew I still wasn't ready to come back.

I needed to detox from blogs for a while. I found that I was escaping into them in an unhealthy way. I was wrapping them around me like a security blanket - and I was shutting out and not dealing with my life as a result of it.

I came out from that protective shell and started looking around and I didn't like what I saw - but I was also motivated to make some changes. I've been much more involved with my kids, with my home and with my spouse. Most importantly, I've been much more involved with myself.

So, if things are so good being away from blogs, why return?

Well, I do miss writing. I do miss having a forum to share my thoughts and my point of view with others. Not that I've had a huge following. But, I think I've had some regulars who popped in for a look. And I've had friends who've discovered my blogs, and thus discovered a different side of me. I need to share this side of myself. And I need to write. So I'm back. But with a new set of rules for myself.

I have limits on how much time I can spend reading blogs. At one point I was reading about 40 different blogs a day - numerous times a day. I can't do that anymore. Fortunately, when I look at the list of blogs I used to read, I find that there are very few I really have any urge to delve into. Thank goodness.

I also need two limits on myself with writing. I need to be consistent. But I can't get lost in writng posts to the point where I'm ignoring other aspects of life. I've found what I hope is the solution to both of those limits.

I will only post once a week. But I will post every week. Right now I'm leaning towards Monday being my day to post. Whatever else is happening, I can usually find some quiet time on Sunday nights. It gives me the week to gather my thoughts and the weekend to write them down and edit them.

Hopefully, my posts will be more coherent this way. And the discipline of writing - and actually editing my posts, instead of just rattling them off (like I'm doing now) should be good for me as well.

Let's see where this takes me. Where it takes us - if anyone is out there reading.

4 comments:

professor said...

I'm so glad you are writing again...I never read that many blogs...counting you and bearmaiden I guess I read bout two others...
I'm not that consistent...too much happens to fast and often what I write might hurt folks feelings...which is not my intention...
but anyway...welcome back...

Julie said...

Thanks for the welcome back. It's nice to know someone is reading.

Unknown said...

:P I read, and I deleted your blog off my list while housecleaning a couple of days ago...guess I'll be adding you again.

You know I often go weeks without writing on my blog. i need the break. It gets to intense. When I find myself getting ticked off I know it's time to back away.

Doulala said...

Welcome back! I'm looking forward to the weekly reading.