Why I Blog

I started this blog in November of 2005 mostly because my offspring thought I should have one and what the heck, I'm always game to try something new. So with the help of IM the offspring talked me through setting this blog up. We were heading off to California to visit with my husbands two sons who live there, and my offspring thought by having a blog he would be better able to keep track of what I was up to.

I was such a neophyte, I had absolutely no clue what a HTLM code was or how to upload photos, size them and post them. So every morning as I was having my coffee in my stepson's backyard, I would log on and try to figure out a little more of the puzzle.

When we came home from the trip I thought I'd try a little longer, see if I could keep it going. I had lots of ideas, lots of opinions on stuff but really, I'm not a writer, fight with punctuation all the time and the only thing I'm really good at is spelling. I rarely use spell check.

I started finding other blogs and leaving the occasional comment. That in itself was hard for me, I'm actually a shy person. Most people who know me wouldn't say that about me, I mean I was a reasonably successful real estate agent for over twenty years, but it was a constant battle with myself to "be out there". I'm also incredibly opinionated as my bridge buddies would attest to. Since my really bad arthritis cut short my career I became more and more withdrawn and went into a funk. My interests and hobbies became very solitary and I spent most of my time in my chair knitting or doing stuff with and for my Mom who lived with us.

The blog became directionless, some days I was ranting about current events and other days posting knitting projects. It all became too confusing so finally I split them into two different blogs. Different people visited both blogs and I made some nice friends through the knitting blog.

During the last nine months of my Mother's life through necessity this time, I rarely went out. I was deathly afraid to leave her alone and when Steve and I did go out for an evening we arranged someone to come stay with her. She'd had a couple of falls and I was terrified we'd come home and find her on the floor. That trip to California was the last time I travelled together with my husband anywhere.

The blog became my outlet, my place to let some stuff out knowing that nobody really knew who I was. My mother hated the computer, even though I was with her 24/7 she thought it took away from her. It became my escape. All during my mother's hospitalization without the blog I think I would have gone nuts, or at least more nuts than I already am.

Now I'm going through my own crisis and have discovered that there are a lot of caring people out there, one in particular who will remain anonymous, but who has been sending lots of prayers and helpful advice my way. That has been the most surprising thing about this whole adventure. People are actually visiting, reading and once in a while commenting.

I have read some other blogs where the authors complain about low readership and some have even quit. That was never my motivation, it's nice but it's not the main event. I may slow down, or I may quit but never because no one visits.

In two weeks I'm off travelling with my husband, our first trip together in almost two years and we hope to have a wonderful time. I hope to have some stories to tell and pictures to post and I'm sure finding Internet Cafes won't be too difficult. Lucky for me, through this blog I have made a friend in Athens who I would never have met were it not for the power of the net....that's one of the best reasons to continue blogging, it brings people together.