My Blog on Blogging

As a child – grade 5 – 6 – 7, for example – I took every opportunity to have penpals. There were clubs at school, and I would exchange addresses with people I met on family vacations, even briefly. It was fun for me to get to know someone far away, and think about what to tell them about myself and my activities. I also kept a journal of sorts.

In high school my family moved 1000 miles away. At this time there was no internet, no email, texting, Facebook or any means other than “snail mail” to keep in touch. Long distance telephone was considered expensive. I wrote and wrote and wrote, and I loved getting letters in return. This took away from journaling time.

During university I resumed my journal, and reduced letter writing.

In my adult years I kept buying books with lovely paper to write in, but most of them remained empty. Eventually I re-established penpals, this time via email.  

All this to say, you would think I would love blogging! It appeals to me in every way, and I love the soft colours I established for my page. And yet I have failed to maintain my blog. Something blocks me from posting.

I note the inverse relationship between letter-writing and journaling, and further I believe I have replaced all with more talking in recent years! I talk a lot more than I used to.

Why maintain a blog? I’m not entirely sure. I think a blog with appropriate tags might attract like-minded individuals to read, and respond, and this would be a penpal relationship of sorts, but shared with others. I’m sure friendships develop, and communities share ideas with each other. An uncle of mine ended up in an online community that started with a common health concern. In their searches, they all found a certain blog where they were able to connect. It became a great source of understanding, support, shared information, and friendship. One year they all travelled to a US point to meet together.

It might serve only me – a record of my early thoughts and development on issues. A way to reflect and consider my information and views. This all takes time. I do think it’s worthwhile, and yet I have not done it.

I think I have been “shy” to put my thoughts into a public place. This is something I have thought about quite a bit during this course, and it is making me more willing to “put myself out there”. I posted a photo on Facebook. I’m writing this blog.

Lynn