I've discoursed many times about why I love blogging, so this is nothing new, but I must add or reiterate how fantastic it is to actually meet long-distance blogging friends for the first time. Today I met Julia for the very first time. It was so fun to sit and talk like long-lost friends for 3 hours! There is just something so cool about the dynamic between blogging friends. It's like we get to skip all the small-talk crap and get right to the good stuff that usually takes years to cultivate. (This reminds of on Friends when Ross and Rachel started dating but got to skip to the 15th date since they'd known each other for so long.) I felt the same way the other night with Rebecca. It's just such a joy to know we all have so much in common, even though our lives are very different.
Julia hand-delivered some good mail she'd gotten for me. She got me this cute tote bag from an awesome book store in New York (I've been to the one in Portland) and a cute picture frame. Thanks Julia!
This is a shot from our blog party last June (2 babies have been born since then and some haircuts!) . For some of you who are knew to my blog since then I will explain. Kristi was coming to Utah so we organized a gathering for everyone to meet her and to meet each other. Most of us knew several people at the party, but we all ended up meeting several new, blogging friends. We had a thoroughly enjoyable time eating, talking and figuring out how we all came together. We're planning to make this an annual event so it's looking like the end of July for 2007.
Here are my top ten reasons for loving to blog.
- Keeping the best journal of my life.
- Meeting new friends.
- Finding out I'm not alone with many of my feelings.
- Learning new ideas, recipes, and traditions.
- Circulating good mail.
- Feeling connected to others from the comfort of home.
- Becoming less judgmental and more open to new people.
- Cultivating a desire to reach outside myself more often.
- Going digital and documenting the minutiae of life.
- Feeling inspired daily by the good things going on with everyone.
**Why do you love blogging?
Why haven't you started a blog yet?**
Why haven't you started a blog yet?**
25 comments:
Isn't it funny how we will confess things on our blogs and comments that we would not share in life? And it is true that we are less judgmental and more willing to find our similarities this way. I love the blogging community and amazed at the good mail charity. I think of you all as true friends and would feel a tremendous sense of loss if I could not communicate with you anymore.
I love blogging because it's a great journal and a great and comfortable way to connect with others who share similar interests and values. (Very like your reasons!!)
I love knowing that the "day to day" happens for everyone.
I love getting new ideas.
I love keeping in touch with friends and family.
I love having a place to document, share, and vent!
I love learning about people, places, talents, traditions, and myself!
You might not know it from my irregular posts, but I love blogging too!
I have to agree with the from comfort of home comment. The biggest is the relief I feel of not having had let another day, week, or year go by without documenting the lives of my children.
I love how bloggers don't have to defend blogging. With my mom here in town, I feel the need to explain myself because she is always making comments. It is getting really old, I wish she would understand it is a good thing! UGH!
I've been at my grandma's with dial up and it would really put a damper on my blogging, I've missed it!
I love how you live in such a great location for blog visitors. I'm sure I'll be up in Utah one of these days and can come visit. Hopefully this summer!
As far as blogging goes, I love having friends at my fingertips. I love getting perspective by being able to see intimately into the lives of others. I also love an easy outlet for my lifelong love of journaling. It gives me such a sense of accomplishment to be keeping our day-to-day stories and photos so I can't forget them.
I was just thinking about this today as I took a picture of a cup of ice for a future blog entry. I love blogging for many of the same reasons you do. It's helped me become closer to friends I already have. It's helped me reconnect (and do so on a daily basis) with one of the best friends I will ever know in this life - my friend Amy, who I don't live near and most likely never will. It's helped me make friends with people I never would have met in "real life". I think too much, and I find it very soothing to get my thoughts out onto my blog. And it's a wonderful journal of the little details of my life that I would never be keeping otherwise. Blogging has really been a gift in my life, and much more meaningful than I ever expected it to be when I started in August.
I'm not quite at that level of comfort yet, to put my life out there in the form of a blog.... But thanks to all you bloggers who inspire me!
Blogging is a great way for me to keep a journal. I have some family and friends that also blog. It is fun way to keep in touch with each other.
I was just telling this to Doug the other day how many people I have gotten to know through blogging. The funny thing is we can actually have conversation and he knows who I am talking about!
I was sad to go through pictures and see how far behind I am on my scrapbooks. I went through them the other day while making a slideshow for Doug. However, Doug made a point at least our kids have daily things written down of what they are doing and photos as well. So true. I can't say that in years past.
I like Laurie wish I was in a more central location to meet all of you. We don't have family in Utah so maybe we'll have to have a blogging retreat somewhere.
How cool to meet up with three people in one week. Thats a great week in my book!
Jill, Blurb says they'll be Blogger ready in 2007!
You are on such a roll of meeting blog friends!
I have posted before about why I love blogging, so here are just a few of my top reasons:
- I can cultivate friendships and a social life in the comfort of my own home! (I'm so big on that.)
- I can reach out to all my friends and family at the same time, thus making it seem doable to me. Otherwise I get too overwhelmed and do a terrible job of keeping in touch.
- I've never been able to keep a journal for any extended period of time, so this is huge for me as far as memory-keeping and record-keeping goes.
- I too love the friendship shortcut that blogging provides. you know I hate small talk.
*I love to blog because of the same reasons as everyone else, but the biggest and most important part is that since my parents and siblings(except diana,) live a thousand miles away and don't visit, it keeps them updated on what my family is doing in a more personal way.
*I love adding everyday type pics to my blog so that not only do I have a journal which I have been doing for years now, but also because it has turned into a great journal for our family. Each month I print out that months entries and put it into a binder that I have made just for this reason, so that the kids can look back on it without having to be online.
*I also love blogging because it is a stress reliever for me, I love to write and this is a great outlet for me to put my thoughts to paper so to speak without the endless reams of paper!
And now thanks to you Jill, I also have the videoegg version of vlogging which keeps my parents connected in a whole other way.
Technology is great isn't?
I do love blogging although my husband reminds me that I don't blog, that I just comment. I have gotten so far behind in reading everyones blog, that the task of getting caught up is a daunting one indeed. I feel so disconnected from the group and "my friends".
I like reading and commenting because it helps me to put things in a better focus, connects me to people from across the nation, different backgrounds, different ages and different experiences and yet we have so much in common, the same struggles and insecurities, that I know I am not alone.
We live in such fast moving times, friends move away, life gets busy and we lose touch, blogging helps us keep in touch even though the majority of us have never met. I know that if I ever had a need I could put out a call that would bounce around in the blogging world and you would all come to my rescue, what peace that brings me.
Why I haven't started....? Jill, you ask this all the time and I don't know that I have a good answer, I need a digital camera, just because I know that I enjoy reading blogs that have pictures, I'm such a visual person, but other than that I'm not sure.
I'm a lot like Sandi as I love knowing that my family is able to keep in touch with us. Both our families are out on the West Coast (Wa and Ut) so they love hearing more of the day to day things going on in our lives. I am also amazed at the network of women I have stumbled upon. I am inspired daily by the things they do for each other. I loved being a part of Pink Christmas! I've also been able to find a support network of other LDS moms who have adopted transracially. I just think it's great, and fun!!
Like Michelle, I love blogging because I can reach out to all of my friends and family in one shot. Most of my family and friends are on the other side of the country, and I'm HORRIBLE at sending emails telling people what I'm up to, and I'm not much of a caller. It's much easier to be able to direct them to my blog! You know what I just realized? I'm lazy!!
I've never ever written a journal, with the exception of a week or so back when I was 6, so my blog is my journal. Living in DC I've been blessed with amazing opportunities, and this blog will help me remember, and I would like my kids (if and when I have them) to be able to look back and see what I accomplished.
I also blog because deep down inside I love attention. Although they're usually few and far between, I LOVE it when I get comments. They make me so happy!
I feel the same way you do...what a blessing blogging has been! I started because it sounded like a great way to journal, but I am hooked on the friendships I have made and the great support I feel. I am so glad my sister convinced me to "just try it for a little while" :)
Also, for some reason my comment didn't post on your last one and I just had to tell you that I love the video. It is so weird to SEE and HEAR you on your blog. Now I have a voice to put with the words as I read!! LOVE it!
This whole blogging world is Crazy!!(in a Good way!) I'll tell you why -it's 6:30 am, my whole house is asleep. I got up to finish my primary stuff that has exploded all over my desk - but FIRST, I have to check my Faves!(that's my word for Favorite blogs!)haha
I don't know you. I don't know any who are commenting -BUT I would like to meet ALL of you! That's why blogging is SO COOL!
Now, you don't know me yet cuz I started out blogging for all my sistahs-yet need to remain somewhat anonymous to the world(an exaggeration!). Now I'm in deep!hahaha I LOVE the blogging gals.
So, I haven't crossed over to putting my whole life out there yet!! (pix of our kids, me, city, etc.)
These are my 'no name' sistahs who also comment - pricecreamparlor*(she is friends with Kelly:thisterthaster)
mycandybasket*homemadecruisecontrol(she is friends with TX gals Angie & Jenny)
I love the connections -they just go on & on. I like this for my journal too. I like getting new ideas and a good laugh everyday!
If my sistahs and I can get to Utah this summer, we'd love to connect with you all. Otherwise, we may just show up on your doorstep and yell 'A blogger Surprise'!!heehee
-ciao
It's hard for me to add to any of the lists given. I will just say "ditto". Your list sums it up for me.
I've so enjoyed feeling like I have a circle of friends/support group outside my home. I definitely need that. Knowing there are so many women out there with the same struggles and goals brings me comfort. What I am fighting for is possible. It gives me hope.
i still consider myself a "newcomer" to this blogging world, but it really has changed my life. i feel like i have more friends than i've ever had in my life. reading everyone's inspires me both to be a better person and to not be so hard on myself. there is something so reassuring about knowing i'm not the only one that feels...x,y, or z. it's just a wonderful gift. and i LOVE reading yours!!! thanks for always being so candid and honest and witty. you make me giggle. which is such a great alternative on days when i feel like pulling my hair out ( :
I love blogging for the potential there is to form connections with women all over the country and even the world. The Internet brings us all together very quickyl It is kind of like getting to the 15th date in 3 or 4.
PS--Thanks for posting that picture of me looking so huge! I can't believe I was that big! Luckily I'll look much different at Blog Party 2007! ;)
wow wow wow is this julia....she is sooo cute, she looks a bit different from her blog picture...don´t we all..e.xcept for jill....she truly looks just like she is....well i have been very excited to meet with pam...and also forward in meeting others...but some of you have said you don´t like surprise visits....so i wonder....how i will do...but i love all the reasons everyone has said...it is funny bloggin from a spanish computer where everything is in spanish....
I'm jealous you met Julia. I'm a total lurker on her blog and LOVE her delicious recipes.
I love blogging for all the same reasons listed. I also love "meeting" women that I would never have a chance to meet because of proximity. I have also loved recoonecting with lots of friends.
I cannot wait for the blog party in July. I'm already plotting!
what a treat for everyone to meet you.
what a gift you have given me by teaching me in the blogging world
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