My Thoughts on Blogging

So, I have this long list of blogs that I read now! I just added the list to my own blog profile so everyone can see what I'm reading - who I am "following". What fun ladies - most are people I don't even know but who are godly, some creative, some great cooks, some have much wisdom, some are just outright funny, many inspire me, and a few are my personal friends.

I recently read a post about "how to blog"....and really, it just comes down to doing whatever YOU want to do - it's YOUR blog afterall!

The author talked a little about the TONE of your blog.
So I started thinking about that (yeah, I pyscho-analyze most things to death). What IS my TONE?? Your tone is kind of like your voice. I don't really usually talk to real life people in the tone that I write in; however, my writing tone is not fake. Those are actual thoughts I have, but just presented a little differently. I actually am a very awkward speaker and have a hard time expressing myself unless I know someone really well. In some cases, I'm afraid to say too much - and in other cases, I do say too much and have potential to get in trouble! I want to balance "being real" with having discretion or at least being a non-wave-making person. What I love about my blog is I can always go back and edit, :) but it is also a place where my thoughts can just tumble out sometimes without me considering the consequences of my words too critically.

So, if you know me in real life, that is me (for the most part) - and here on my blog, that's the other side of me (does that make me schizophrenic?!). :)

The other part of my tone in blogging is to remember that I am not totally serious all the time. I have kind of a sarcastic edge - and I tend to see irony in situations instead of wanting to gloss everything over with Pollyanna paint! Take me with a grain of salt, I guess you'd say. I try to remember to put a :) when I think I've made a statement that could be misinterpreted...but mostly I hope my TONE just comes through on its own.

Another aspect of blogging is that some people have a THEME for their blog - strictly family updates or all recipes all the time or decorating inspiration or Bible study or random thoughts or a daily, rotating pattern of themes.....and so on. My THEME is totally random. I originally started out blogging daily to try to be accountable for 2 things: meal-planning and being thankful (not related ideas, obviously, just what I struggle with). THEN I started realizing what a neat outlet blogging was to my love of writing. It's like journaling - but a little more carefully considered because you're putting it out there on the INTERNET for the whole world to see! I don't do that because I think I'm such a great writer; I do it because I love input - and I do want to share my thoughts with those who might be interested. But mostly, I write my blog for my own entertainment (I'm easily amused). :)

At the recent Christian service conference we attended, I went to a session on "Dealing With Difficult People," and one of the teacher's first points was DO NOT blog about the difficult people in your life. Nothing like throwing all the ugliness out there for the whole internet world to see - and then to resolve your issue and regret that you ever wrote about it!! YIKES!! Almost daily I deal with things that are not to be talked about, and mostly, I keep my rash judgments to myself (because it is embarrassing to have to admit that I am not always apt to first give the benefit of the doubt to people). Working in a chuch environment, I have to be so so careful what I say and write! Would I be ok if my pastor read my blog? At this time, I think so! I hope so! (and let me insert right here that I love my pastor, his family, our church, our school, everyone!!) But there are times when the situations in my life are just kind of a vignette of amusement! I have to share, and I try to do so carefully. DISCERNMENT is the key, I believe.

There was one more element of blogging I had thought about - but now I'm blank. Aren't you lucky - wake up - this post is OVER. :) Have a nice day!