Mark Twain

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do ...
Explore. Dream. Discover." Mark Twain

Friday, April 15, 2016

Why blog ...

Oh my!  My last post was in January - expounding on the reaching the mid-winter point!  Here we are in April and not a word written in-between.

Yes, I still live!  And shocking (to my mind), I have received a few inquiries ... where are you, are you returning to blog land?

One of my blog friends, Paula, posted an interesting piece on March 5th called Where did they go?  She lamented about folks who stopped posting to their blog for 8 or 10 months, some as long as a year ... some never to return.  She missed the sharing of life experiences and wondered why they stopped.  That post sparked my thinking on those of us to disappear from blogging - for a time or forever.

I guess it all comes down to why a person blogs in the first place.  I think we blog writers fall into 2 camps of people:

  • those who write for themselves (they don't need an audience, they just need to get ideas out somewhere and the blog is a good place to plant them.)
  • those who write for others (they write to educate, to sell, to explore ideas others, to generate conversation, to share a talent or hobby.)

Some bloggers might say they slop over into both categories, but I fall entirely in the first category.  I write for me.  The need to write comes and goes as life changes.  I believe the first category is where most "drop outs" can be found because the "need" to blog wanes.  Life changes.

For myself, it all started as a way to cope with my intense caregiving experience.  Eight years is a long time to step out of your normal life and give that energy to someone else.  My blog was a coping tool.  It was at times a life saver.

After mom died, that coping mechanism seems less needed.  Moving on and sorting out how my life was now as well as adjusting to my own aging issues seemed uninteresting to write about.  Hence the periodic absences.

Well, I am back again.  For how long I do not know.

But I will tell you ... it hasn't been boring here in my corner of blog land.

More on that to follow!




7 comments:

Paula said...

Wonderful post and I am really happy to see you posting again. I always wonder what happens when people quit blogging. I realize that life does go on for everyone all around us. I think I write mostly for me! And to leave something for my grands to read someday. But I have made so many wonderful friends all over blogland that if I didn't blog I wouldn't keep up with them!!

Michelle said...

I did a post not too long ago after learning that a blogpal had been diagnosed with terminal cancer. She died within two days of my hearing the news; it was shocking. I will ever be thankful that one of her blogpals contacted every commenter to let them know. Glad you're okay!

Una said...

Very pleased to hear that life has been interesting. I also believe in blogging when the mood strikes rather than feeling compelled to write for the sake of it. Crafting and blogging should be fun. There are enough boring and difficult things to cope with in life.

Retired Knitter said...

Thanks Paula. During my hiatus, I thought about blogging off and on. Topics would pop up but I would never put fingers to key board!

Retired Knitter said...

I am fine. Crazy as ever. :-)

Retired Knitter said...

You are right. There are enough boring and difficult things in life already! :-)

Lois@Living In Denim said...

I almost missed this post! I didn't realize there were two posts in one email. Anyway, I'm so glad to hear from you again, and hear you and your husband are fine. So many have stopped blogging that I have quit checking up on those bloggers. At the same time I too have been online less as life takes over.