It’s Sunday night, February 9, 2014—a special date in
several ways. According to my haiku calendar, in 2010 it was 20 degrees with
snow on the ground. In 2011, it was snowing. Thirty-two degrees in 2013, and
today, 29 degrees with snow still on the ground (until the afternoon). After the
low, low temps of the past few weeks, today, it seemed actually warm.
One more important (to me) event: Five years ago, I
began blogging.
In early February of 2008, I wrote a piece titled, “If I were a blogger . . .” At that time, I knew only two bloggers,
both friends: former landlady Sally Dixon and Dennis Price, an
Arkansan-turned-Texan. (He calls himself “the Texican.”) He kept at me, and when
I finally set up a blog, he offered support by getting his friends to "comment."
So far, though, I haven’t received any invitation
from magazine editors to use any of my posts, like the literature on the
advantages of blogging promised. Oh, I take that back, Gayle asked me to do a
guest post on her blog, which I promised to do this month. But right now, she’s just
a blogger like me. And a 90+-year-old writer from Missouri
asked me to put the word out (on my blog) about her first novel coming out
Tuesday, Water Under the Bridge, by Verna Simms.
Now, five years later, many bloggers I know are out
there in blogger-land, including most of the members of Central AR Writers.
Why blog? Jane, a blogger from Rector says, “Writing feeds me. It wasn't until I had the
time that I began to write out of daily experiences, sharing what spoke to me.
The response from readers encourages me to look deeper into each day.”
A blogger from Clinton: "Today marks
the second anniversary of my blog, named "Freeda Baker Nichols, My True
Sentence." As a poet and writer, I share poems and short fiction
as well as photos. Blogging allows me to share my writings with people
around the world. That's awesome! Their feedback encourages and
brings me happiness. Although it's time consuming, my blog is worthwhile
and keeps me writing."
Here is another blogger, Christa. "Pat, I was a reluctant blogger. I had written the column for the paper since 2005 and when they started offering blogs I simply graduated to putting my column on the blog. Then I became excited about it and have 3 other blogs that I don't really update as often as I should."
Here is another blogger, Christa. "Pat, I was a reluctant blogger. I had written the column for the paper since 2005 and when they started offering blogs I simply graduated to putting my column on the blog. Then I became excited about it and have 3 other blogs that I don't really update as often as I should."
Dot from Beebe writes, "I find blogging
a good writing discipline for me, an appointment I need to keep. I also enjoy
the instant gratification of finishing a project, no matter if small, and
putting it out there. My blog (First Person Limited) is not designed to be an
expert's view or opinion of anything; I like that freedom, too."
Gayle (aforementioned) says, "Blogging 1) keeps my mind on writing. Knowing I need to keep a schedule keeps me on my toes and my attention on writing. 2) Perhaps the best thing is I am more aware of things around me, always wondering if they would be good subjects or how I could use them in a post.3) A nice side benefit is that I'm getting better at quick edits! ( and I'm craving to get better at photography, now, too... so I have my own photos to use)"
Other friends have blogs, too, but I'll save their thoughts for another time.
Other friends have blogs, too, but I'll save their thoughts for another time.
10 comments:
Congratulations on your five year anniversary of blogging. Thanks for asking me to contribute to this post. Blogging is fun!
Blogging is fun; Facebook is fun. Isn't it great we have something to do besides sit in the rocking chair and bemoan our age??? Thanks for commenting.
Congrats Pat. Hard to believe it's five years! Good job!
Thanks for being a part of the anniversary blog. xoxo
Congratulations, Pat. There are several things I really like about this post. The look back through your diary for one. Remembering your first blog for another. It is a good blog and sort of makes me feel like I have just shared a cup of coffee with you. Thanks.
Sharing anything like this, even on FB, is nearly like being across the table (like at HP) from each other. Thanks for participating in this post. Happy Valentine's Day, too.
Blogging offers a way to expand on shorter posts that are required by twitter and more in-depth than facebook fodder. #SillySally
Spoken like a true blogger. Thanks, Sal.
I especially love all the connections blogging has brought to me. Like all the ladies listed above me in the comments...Freda, Gayle, Christa and you of course. I don't know #SillySally yet but maybe soon:)
Sally was my neighbor from 1997-2002. She was the first blogger I knew. We hooked up again on FB. Her Jesse and my Billy were great friends/playmates, too. She's a creative genius.
Thanks, Talya, for commenting.
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