Sunday 13 May 2012

Once More With Feeling : Why Blog?


The last post on this blog appeared on April 30th,  14 days ago.  [The one announcing temporary retirement doesn't count.]  After three and a bit years of fairly regular entries,  I needed to sit back, take stock and weigh up the pros and cons of this rather time-consuming pastime. I know I'm not the only blogger who questions their need to impart to a more or less indifferent readership their innermost thoughts - never mind about the outermost trivia of our daily lives. which, surely, even the most dedicated egomaniac cannot imagine to be of interest to others outside the circle of their own families and close friends. Why do we blog? Because we can? Are bloggers the mountaineers who, when asked why they climb Mount Everest, say, 'because it's there'? And when we say that 'we make friends', or that 'we start a conversation', or that 'we exchange views' and that 'we learn from each other', how much of that is true? And if it is true,  does it whet our appetite to pursue these interactions with persons of flesh and blood rather than virtual acquaintances? I fully realise that contact with the outside world is a boon for the house-bound and ill, that those of us who find it difficult to make friends in real life find like-minded souls, who pound their keyboards and send messages, sometimes meaningless, sometimes supportive, informative and interesting, back and forth in the ether. Blogging must answer a need in all of us, otherwise we wouldn't bother. Personally, I like the idea of being connected; the fact that it is at a distance and at a time of my choosing, makes it even better. I certainly have made friends; at least I hope so.

During the last 14 days I read far more than I've done for quite a while, gardened, had friends to dinner and went out to them for meals, joined meetings of the writing and poetry groups, actually watched the whole of 'Homeland' series one (please tell me there is another one), and am well into the first series of 'The Bridge' on TV, and had long conversations with Beloved over breakfast and dinner. Even though I have done little serious writing,  I spent a lot of time thinking about my memoir, adding and discarding and sorting out ideas. I could do all that because  I had no blog to 'service'.  That's how it feels to me at times: I have to service my blog, or else I'm lacking in duty, disappointing all those who are breathlessly awaiting my next set of  polished words [yeah, right], and heaven forbid, I might lose followers. Idiot woman - talking to myself here - when did you forget that you can never please all of the people all of the time? And that not pleasing yourself makes you far less likely to genuinely please anyone else. Pious frauds, who sacrifice themselves in the service of others - and make damn sure that these others know about it - are the most loathsome creatures.

In part it was Jocelyn's ( O Mighty Crisis ) post entitled How Do You Wander Into That Room Of Your Own' which precipitated both the temporary withdrawal and this rant. Jocelyn isn't actually querying the validity of blogging, she is asking some very reasonable questions, which made me realise that my attitude towards blogging has become slightly obsessive. (Can anything be 'slightly' obsessive? Or is it like being 'slightly' dead ?) Go and read Jocelyn's post; in fact, read her blog, it's good, and for those of you who need to chuckle at all times, it's also mainly funny. Also, it's a touch more demanding than most. I do, however, wish to quibble with the title of the relevant post: Virginia Woolf's Room Of One's Own  was a very private place, exactly the opposite to the open door policy of the web where anyone can enter at the click of a mouse; where lack of privacy is positively virtuous, the first law of the triple w. Staying with Jocelyn, I pondered the following questions:

Why do I write blog posts?  Because I have a blog. Why did I start a blog? Because I thought it might amuse me. I also thought I could write a sort of personal history which would be of interest to my children. I was wrong about the latter, my children either never read my blog (too busy - yeah, right), or lost interest and only catch up very occasionally. Fair enough. I also admit that the personal history posts are few and far between these days. That's where the memoir comes in, or will, if I ever get it finished. Anything I write, on the blog or elsewhere, I write for public consumption; I want somebody, anybody, to read it. It's even better when people tell me they like what I write; lots of you who read my blog say they do - very gratifying - and I also get people complimenting me on articles in local publications, and not only those who owe me dinner.

When do I write? How do I find the time?  I write anytime, but particularly late at night, in my study, which is upstairs, at one end of the house. Sometimes the dog joins me, but he keeps his opinions to himself and never interrupts a thought process. Ideas float around in my head constantly, if I'm lucky I have a bit of paper handy to jot them down; many are useless on further examination, some are filed for future reference and a very few are outlined. Blogposts appear out of nowhere, although the retrieval bucket has had to be lowered much further recently, scraping the bottom of the well once or twice.

Do you choose not to write about certain subjects?  On a blog? You bet! There are events, thoughts, past embarrassments and mistakes lurking in my shadows which I could never air in public. Blogging is   public. I may only know a very few of you by name and will never meet most of you, but even accidental reminders of these crass stupidities cause hot flushes to rise that beat any hormonal sweats; displaying them deliberately would be credibility suicide.  Using the stuff in a story is an entirely different matter. Faction is a miraculous tool for the memoirist; everybody knows that writers adjust their own lives as they go along.

I also regret that several people in Valley's End know that I write this blog. There are times when a fellow inhabitant deserves a special mention but I don't want to be unkind, at least not recognisably so. I'll do it if I can get away with it. There's always WordPress, of course.



Having had this time off I must admit that I missed sitting bent over the computer, writing posts, checking blogs, reading comments, commenting myself. All things being equal, I'll still be here another three years from now, churning out deathless prose. Perhaps not obsessively, perhaps not as often, perhaps a little more measured. Stay tuned.

If anybody is still reading  this, I'd like to point you in the direction of Arlee Bird, a man with oodles of followers, at Tossing It Out,  who asked his many commenters what they did with other bloggers' long, long posts:  read, skim, ignore. I couldn't be bothered to read many of the comments [it's late and I'm not that fussed], but I think a lot of bloggers are scared that they might look off-hand and uninterested, so they're kind about posts like this, which ramble on and on without having much to say for themselves. I would have given up a long time ago. We are far too kind and well-behaved in the blogland I frequent. I'm still looking for the rougher neighbourhoods.



94 comments:

  1. i rather like the rougher neighborhoods and dont mind when people ding me up a bit...you know...i have at times weight the reasoning for a blog...and mine comes down often to the people even over my writing...

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    1. OK Brian, let's get on with some dinging. Perhaps that's why I get bored with bloggers, because there's too much of the 'wow' and not enough of the genuine, honest reaction. It could be that commenters simply don't read through the whole post. I prefer the people who read and digest and come up with their take on the post.

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    2. i would agree with that completely...smiles.

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  2. It is easy to become discouraged hunched over a computer sharing thoughts or photos to faceless folk around the globe. Whether we seek honest commentary or kind thank you's is personal preference. The reality is that information - good, bad or indifferent - may spark thought, change or opposition from anyone, anywhere. Whether we seek rougher neighborhoods or, like too many, agreeable neighbors, do what you want.

    Darryl and Ruth :)

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    1. Thanks for commenting, your fist, is it? Only honest commentary will spark a discussion and as I try to write honestly, straight from experience or the heart, knobs and all, I'd like my commenters to appreciate my efforts. It'd be better if they didn't reply if the post leaves them cold. That would also do away for thie need for me to reply to their blog, tedious as that my be.

      Do come again, please.

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  3. Oh Friko, it sounds like you will keep on bloggin', so I look forward to getting to know you here in blogland. I enjoy blogging and have a very busy life, a few bits and pieces of which I share while blogging.
    I am glad to know you.

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    1. Hi Terry
      Blogging is addictive, so I'll be appearing here for the foreseeable future. I'll make sure I'll come to see your bits and pieces too, and if I quibble, I offer you the same facilility here.

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  4. I wondered where you were. But I think it's good to write when you have something to say, and that may not be all the time. When the blog becomes work, then it's time to give it a break.
    You are a thinker Friko, so even your most frivolous posts contain insights and beauty. Whether or not you write every week you will still have readers who care.

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    1. Hi Kerry,
      How very kind of you to pay me this compliment. I'll try not to post simply because I feel I have to in future. Actually, I think my most frivolous posts contain the most serious thoughts. I tend to dress everything I feel deeply about in irony and hope readers get the message. As there are many people who don't get it face to face, that is probably doubtful. But I don't think as bloggers we are obliged to dot every i and cross every t.

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  5. friko . . . this is so timely and pertinent . . . i write for my self . . . i am amazed that people visit and read and that every so often they comment . . . the energy that was in blogland four, three, even two years ago is gone . . . it simply isn't there . . . but i like the idea of a record of moments for whomever needs to impose my own moments on their own . . . and then also i like the idea that something of my self hovers inconsequentially and then also essentially in the digital world . . . . . rock on friko . . . find the tougher neighbourhoods . . . they're looking for you . . . . steven

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    1. I too tend to write primarily for myself; in fact, I prefer writing to reading and commenting. That may not be very companionable but it's the truth. There are, of course, blogs I wouldn't miss, usually because they give me ideas which I could use. Selfish again, you see. But that's what I think most of us are, would we blog otherwise>

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  6. I've recently been traveling the same lane as you. Lack of inspiration and lack of interest leaving my blog stale. In my absence I have done no evaluation of why I blog. I'm glad you have though. I'll just ditto everything you've said here, how's that?
    And I'm very glad you expect to continue for at least another three years!

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    1. June, you know there isn't a post of yours I want to miss and I enjoy every one of them. You have a knack of writing beautifully about people and events in the most relaxed language, which absolutely speaks to me. Like an angel, remember?
      We also share this slightly melancholy and, dare I say it, cynically, view of the world which allows me to feel that I'm not the only freak.

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  7. " Personally, I like the idea of being connected; the fact that it is at a distance and at a time of my choosing, makes it even better. I certainly have made friends; at least I hope so."

    I too wonder over (and skim) LOOOONG posts with MANNNNY pictures; Having said that, this one I read word for word. For I already know that I will recognize myself & learn more about a very interesting and worthy blogger/friend.

    Yes, I'll be here. Though I do feel like running on a treadmill to keep up with all the interesting and companionable folks I care about around the blogosphere.

    Glad you're able to post to mine too, Friko

    Warm Aloha from Honolulu
    Comfort Spiral

    > < } } (°>

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    1. It may not always work, dear Cloudia, but I'll do my best. The treadmill is exactly the same instrument of torture I find myself strapped to most of the time, perhaps we should get off occasionally. If you have to hurt someone, so bet it. We could always forget about the purely 'wow' comments. Self-preservation is not always the worst instinct.

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  8. Why Blog? I have asked myself that question many times and always come up with the same answer. Why not?

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    1. Wy not? I could give you a thousand answers to that one. Provided it's fun and there is decent feedback, then why not, indeed. Carry on why notting and I'll be your man, er woman.

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  9. Well said, Friko. I can't say I missed you, since many of my other blogging buddies have kept me entertained. But once I saw that you were BACK with a post, I was more than interested to see what has been going on in your life. I get into habits of blogging, and if I haven't written for awhile I feel the need to "service" my blog, too. I usually skim long posts and get impatient with tons of pictures, especially when I know I agonize over which ones to put up and restrict myself to no more than six in one post. Same with words: less is more. And here I am going on and on... :-)

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    1. How very refreshing to read this. 'Didn't miss you'. of course you didn't. We are NOT necessary for each other's wellbeing, we simply provide a pleasant place to learn about each other. I always like coming to read your Sunday morning observations and shall continue to do so.

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  10. I was pleased to see you had posted another entry. I always enjoy reading them no matter what the time spam between them is.
    I have become slightly addicted to blogging but it does depend on what is happening in my life as to how often I blog. When I'm at home my blogging frequency declines only because I have so many things going on that I have to make time for the blog.
    When I'm away at sea of course, I have more time plus I think I have more interesting things to write about.
    I've enjoyed my blogging experience so far, I hope it has helped me improve my writing skills.

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    1. It's good that you don't let blogging interfere with your 'real' life, it culd become quite a menace. See you soon.

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  11. Nice, reflective post. I think we've all had your thoughts, from time to time, but you suggested the real answer -- blogging becomes addictive.

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    1. Too right it does. And there are other activities which are therefore neglected.

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  12. It goes in waves. I've recently pulled back myself because I had too many other things that needed my attention at this moment. and then later I may find myself with more time on my hands. I started as a sort of journal, not for my children so much since they know of my daily life but for several generation down the line. Ones who didn't know me personally but may wonder what my life was like, what I might have been like beside the dates of my birth and death and a list of my children's names which is about all I have of my forbears. My intention is to print out and bind the years of my life as revealed in my blog.

    Nice to see you back.

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    1. Good idea, I have printed out various posts which are going to be the basis for the memoir but otherwise this stuff will either be lost or vanish into the ether, from where it can be retrieved by anybody, they tell me.

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  13. Hello Friko

    I am happy to hear you plan to continue to post. You have a talent for writing, or as some might say a gift. I love the various voices of the bloggers I follow. I also believe blogging should be if and when the blogger feels like writing. No pressure. Long posts are sometimes all right with me, if I find the subject interesting and if the author writes less frequently (e.g.once weekly)
    Helen xx

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    1. You're right in all your points. The thing for me is to write for myself first and foremost, so short or long, pictures or no pictures are primarily guided by what feel I my post needs.

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  14. Seems to me the Pluto in Leo generation (Boomers) that I belong to experiences self-expression like godliness, like manifestations of god's many faces. Creativity experienced as divine grace, that is addictive! I am not a writer, but I blog, I am not a photographer, but I take photos, I am not an actor, but I have been on stage and I have followed my feelings extemporaneously to their inevitable conclusions. I am not a dancer, but I have let myself be moved by the moment, that is exhilarating. I blog maybe to leave my mark on the world. Mostly it feels like a useless Taoist endeavor. Something I am moved to do often late in the evening on impulse. There is great potential in the use of the net, but rarely realized. I treasure authenticity and the few that throughout my life made me feel seen, heard and appreciated.

    Friko, I believe you have a gift with words and a potent need to express yourself, so I challenge you to offer up your own rough edges that no doubt will invite others.

    I also blog to take a stand, to ascertain that I did speak up on matters of importance to me, that I will not be a silent accomplice to atrocities world wide. I extensively posted on Occupy and earlier on the death penalty and most recent on walking for peace.

    It is a challenge to formulate an original thought and more so to develop an idea, feeling or impulse.

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    1. everything you say makes sense, as does your blog. I thin you have found the balance that was mentioned earlier; I believe you truly blog for yourself and at a time and as frequently as you need to. You'll have to be my master.

      The rough edges may have to wait a little.

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    2. Friko, I too seek interaction, would love to have an exchange that goes beyond wow, or nice or what-not. Facebook has the potential to work great in this regard, as it is so easy to leave comments, get alerts or not and share things with as wide a circle as desired. This said I am afraid we do not live in particularly reflective times. We are so inundated with information and stimulation, it is hard to hear oneself, much less respond from a meaningful place to another. I cherish your blog, it is one of the first ones for me to check on regularly. I hope for my sake you keep at it in the ways that serve you - and us.

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  15. Why blog?. When i retired i was looking for something to pass the time away and blogging was the perfect vehicle, but i went over board and became slightly addicted to the extent that i couldn't persue other hobbies so at the beginning of this year i changed the way i blogged. So far this is the right balance for me. I reckon finding the right balance that suits you is the way to go :-).

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    1. Yes, exactly. Balance is all. I'm on my way . . .

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  16. Glad you're enjoying The Bridge. Nothing like a dose of 'Nordic Noir' on a Saturday evening. The second series of Homeland is being screened on Channel 4 in the autumn.

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  17. Hello:
    You do, of course, raise many interesting questions here about the nature of blogging, the whys, the wherefores, and so on which, in all likelihood, most people who blog will ask of themselves, and possibly others, from time to time.

    For our part, for of course we cannot answer for others, we only write as and when we wish to on topics which are either of particular interest to us or those which, committed to a post, become a record for us of our lives, some happening which we wish possibly to record at some future date. To that end we write for no-one but ourselves, take part in no memes, awards, tags, etc., but are, of course, delighted when people are kind enough to read what we write and even more so when they spend time and trouble to leave a comment.

    In a very strange way, for as you it is unlikely that we will ever meet the vast majority of people with whom we have contact, we have in some instances built up very real friendships in the virtual world, and these we value enormously and do believe without which now our lives would be the poorer. That said, we do believe that our days of blogging are finite for, like you, we do find that it is a very time consuming activity - and there are two of us!!

    But perhaps, as you conclude, we are all too kind and generous with each other. But in a world which is at times fairly brutal, we find this no bad thing.

    Apologies for the length of this comment which you may well have given up on some time ago. And for that, no hard feelings.

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    1. Dear both, I'd never give up on you.
      The time consuming aspect is the most difficult for me; although I enjoy blogging I also enjoy other activities which take time. Blogging demands energy and concentration, neither of which I have in abundance.

      You are right, blogging is a gentle occupation and, on the whole, I am glad people remain calm and polite, although excessive flattery is not to my liking. I believe there are blogging circles which are hateful, I have no wish to find myself in such company.

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  18. Ah! thats better, a nice gritty post to read and ponder on.
    I must admit I read much much more than I post, just for outside stimulation from interesting people that I would not normally come into contact with.........and now have no other chance of finding in the real world. It sometimes can be the difference between having a black day or a happy and inspired day frankly.
    No matter how frequently or infrequently you feel like posting, just nice to know you are about, great that you are spending more time on your memoir.

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    1. Thank you Crone, blogging is good for the soul, I do agree.

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  19. Hi Friko - why blog - now as a way to educate myself - both through the blogging and via meeting fellow-bloggers whom I would never normally find. Cross cultural learning, educating myself on subjects/genres/ disciplines I'd have never have had the opportunity to do .... in such a relaxed way - easy absorption, ie drip feeding from various sources.

    I usually try and leave a salient comment.

    If posts are long and I enjoy those bloggers - I read them when I have time .. and can concentrate and comment accordingly.

    Re - your children reading ... I have found I was not at all interested in the history of the family, except superficially .... now I am. So I'm sure your children will enjoy having this record at some stage in the future.

    Re memoir ... at least you have the notes here and can mix and match them into a Memoir later on ...

    I hope you don't stop posting as I enjoy your ascerbic comments, as well as your very educated and pertinent posts about life past and present .. and about the Valley and its changes ..

    I agree with everyone else - don't leave us!! However post when you feel fit ...

    Cheers and have a good week - Hilary

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    1. Thank you Hilary; I know that your posts are full of knowledge and information andI always enjoy collecting the grain I have missed elsewhere on my way through life. I shan't give up just yet, neither writing nor reading.

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  20. I'm not sure there's a definitive reason why I blog. I miss it when I have a break though, so maybe I like the feeling of responsibility (reading others' posts/commenting).
    There are plenty of other pointless activities i waste my time with.

    Maybe we're intelligent enough to know there's a lot of mutual back-slapping just for politeness' sake, but not averse to a bit of flattery from people we'd never meet in 'real' life.

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    1. other pointless activities you waste your time with? Oh dear, is blogging included?
      I find your posts funny and never pointless; if they are then blogging is pointless all round.

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  21. I love connecting semi-instantaneously and asyncronously to an outside world where I have found like minds. I have plenty of real world activities as weLL, I was able to find this year's praying mantis and recently got started making bio-diesel, and the grapes looks good.

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    1. Hey, I like your leisure activities! Beware the praying mantis!

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  22. I think all of us have misgivings, from time to time, about some of our posts.

    For me it has been a great way to release some of the heart-break and guilt I have felt about my former life. I can genuinely say that after posting some of my posts I have unburdened myself and hopefully helped someone else realise they are not the only ones!

    Life in the real world is fun though, and I have to add that blogging has even helped me there too, reading responses and seeing what others think of a statement has given me more confidence to voice my opinions out loud. (Not too often obviously) I fully understand your reservations about friends and neighbours discovering you have a blog though - I certainly would not want my colleagues to be reading what I may or may not have to say about them!

    I hope you won't be retiring - I do so enjoy your posts. I know I don't always comment but it often seems that everyone has already said everything I want to say!

    Bless you Friko for your honesty.

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    1. Blogging at its very best, a way out of problems and dark places, with the help of others, who respond kindly to us when we let our hurts and miseries out. I've done it myself countless times and have always found the empathy of other bloggers very soothing to my spirit. Sometimes I've been touched by the kindness of strangers.

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  23. People are pretty kind to me on my blog...maybe they are just polite as you say? Ha!!
    I like Brian, wouldn't mind honest crits...makes it more interesting then.
    Some days I take breaks on reading blogs...just don't do it...but I do feel guilty about that..Sigh!!!'
    I enjoy your writing and your stories so keep on going please.
    Hugs
    SueAnn

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    1. Thanks SueAnn, that's the problem, when you start to feel guilty about doing or not doing, then something's wrong. I am in that boat too and need to find a way to paddle my way out.

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  24. I truly enjoy your posts and am glad that you will continue.

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    1. You're too kind, Suz. I always enjoy visiting you too.

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  25. A splendid post, Friko, and not too long for me.

    Why do I blog? Because I enjoy it - the thinking, the writing, the choosing of images and also responding to the comments I get. I don't post every day and sometimes not even every week, but since I do it because I truly enjoy it, i don't grudge the time. I find blogging a lot more productive and satisfying than watching almost all television. :-)

    I'm a relatively new blogger (a year and a bit) so haven't had time to get tired of it yet. I write in my study whenever I can find the time and if inspiration strikes will let other things go until I finish what I'm working on. Being retired makes this very easy.

    Certainly there are things I won't blog about and I guard my pseudonymity and the privacy of my family jealously. That leaves me plenty to write about and until I feel differently about it, which may well happen one day, I will continue blogging merrily.

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    1. And your readers enjoy whatever you have to say. Being anonymous is good, I wish I had stayed that way, although there are very few people who read my blog. Most people have no idea what a blog is and I am not going to illuminate them.

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  26. I'm glad to see you here. I try mightily to post daily but lately life has intruded greatly and will continue do so.

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    1. Daily wouldn't be possible. I haven't enough ideas and I could never cope with the comments. So three times a week or less for me is quite enough. Happy blogging, but don't forget that you have a life too.

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  27. I enjoyed reading this. I read you (not every post, but many) because I enjoy reading how you think and write. If I didn't, I wouldn't. When blogging feels obligatory, it's time to back off, I think. I'm slowing down too.

    I read a blogger (a big one, not someone I know) who is taking a week off screen time of any sort. There is appeal in that, for the reasons you've listed. I don't know if I could do it, but I get it. I wouldn't miss TV, and I might not miss blogging, but I'd miss photos of my grandson on Instagram and Facebook. And frankly, I'd miss hearing from friends either in comments or email.

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    1. Staying off every screen? a brave experiment. I could most certainly find a lot to fill my time, but I don't find screens inherently bad. It's what we do with them and what we let them do to us, that's the problem. I think that, as always, balance is what we need to find and I'm hoping I'll find it.

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  28. Well, I have always liked writing and wrote technical stuff all my life. I also have done much editing. Blogging helps me loosen up my writing, i.e. hopefully make it more creative. I do edit, looking for misplaced punctuation. Editing is a habit of a lifetime and the result of writing papers for over 40 graduate courses.

    Remember, "Each to each as we pass becomes the other's looking glass." The days you leave me a comment on my blog I get a little thrill (critical comments appreciated).

    I think you are a very creative writer, and I need inspiration. Just the other day I was thinking about your post with the three old women, one with a drooping lip because she spent a lifetime breaking thread. Her ugly lip convinced the new husband he should not let his wife do much sewing.

    You blog and inspire. Think of this as an online writing group. Gardening is nice but you must have something for rainy days too.

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    1. Thank you Dianne, you are sweet to say this. I won't give up and I'll continue to call at yours too, although I find your brainy posts quite hard to cope with sometimes. You also make me feel lazy because I couldn't possibly work as hard at my books and do exams with such abandon as you do.

      Gardening is easier!

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  29. Well, considering I had one person write an entry that my blog was a train wreck & another write an entry saying I was not a schizophrenic who gave away my home & my belongings while psychotic, but someone who just wanted attention so I created that story...I don't have to worry about people being too KIND to me in blogland. ;o

    Sometimes blogging & reading blogs in like wearing an old comfortable sweater, & other times like wearing a hairshirt. But over extended time, it truly has been more of the former & less of the latter, not lately for me, mind, but going through the whole stretch. Hypocrisies, myths, foibles, & vanities..even hostile interpretations & social posturing. Nothing comes our way without a price. It can be a very good ride, but way bumpy.
    ~Mary

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    1. I couldn't add anything to what I've already said. I sincerely hope that you won't let the bastards grind you down and will get back to blogging soon.

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  30. If there would be enough time between working, playing with the child, keeping the Lemon and Orangetree in shape, taking pictures (which I started to sell to a press agency, which turned me from a blogger into a small hunter, you can google me name plus dpa to see a few examples) I would like to write, again, yet admit, that it made me very tired and nowadays I try to speak through the picture.
    I honestly enjoy much your writing and hope that you will keep it up !
    Please have a good Tuesday you all.

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    1. Thank you Robert. Does that mean you are no longer a teacher? Has the system collapsed and cannot pay teachers anymore?

      I am glad that photography has become a big part of your life, it is a very useful occupation. Life as seen through the eye of a camera will be a true Zeitzeuge.

      Writing doesn't tire me, I love it, it's the reading I find harder.

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  31. I am amused to think that, although we live in very different places and circumstances, I still feel that we are sort of kindred spirits. I know that my approach to blogging and energy for it seems rather similar to what you describe.

    And what amazing joys can come when something we write does seem to connect with another person.

    xo

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    1. We stay with the people with whom we connect, otherwise we'd surely give up and move on. Personally speaking, life's complicated enough without lumbering myself with people with whom I can find no common ground.

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  32. I'll start by commenting on your closing, as it raised the issue of commenting and the quality of conversation that happens in response to blog posts. Too often, it's pap, and I want to compliment you (again) for occasionally taking my breath away with your forthrightness and unwillingness to agree with everything. You make the neighborhood rougher with your very presence. HA!

    As well, I think we're viewing what comprises "a room of one's own" differently. I didn't so much mean the blog as the room...I meant the sitting down to write, to romp around one's private head space. I'm never more by myself or with myself than when I'm trying to riddle out what I am thinking and how I want to put it together. The room of one's own, for me, is the headspace, not the blog.

    Anyhow, you know my responses to your questions, as you read them in the original post. Like you, I often struggle with the notion of "servicing" my blog and worrying I'll lose readers if I don't keep posting. However, I'm deeply reluctant to post for the sake of posting and, like you, when conversation and community and gardening and grading (the stuff of "real" life) are occupying so many of my hours, I don't have time to sit in My Room and milk out the words. My hope is that blogging morphs as we do and that it continues to be something we can do for ourselves and for each other as it suits.

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    1. Blogging is something I will continue to do until it leaves me bored and irritated, or both. In the meantime, I wish to find a happy medium, neither have it develop into a yoke, (as Deborah said in an email on the subject) nor let it become so shallow and incidental, blogging for the sake of it, in other words, until it really annoys the hell out of me. I like writing without great effort, but I'd like the individual blogger's attention span to be a little longer.

      The more I think about it, the more I feel that I need to blog to my own satisfaction and hope that there are a few people out there who want to read what I have to say. It's the room where the inside of my head is free to roam without interruption, just like yours.



      As for the room of my own: it's the place i go to to be quiet enough to shout at the whole world via this medium. It is also the room where I collect my thoughts into a semblance of order to speak to myself and, through myself, to this person who delves into her past.

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  33. Much to think about from your post, Friko. What I write on my blog is pretty mundane and I'm about ready to put it to rest. If I wrote about what's really going on with me, I'd start another one. At this point, too many people know who I am, and I'd rather keep the deep things I feel and worry about, to an anonymous audience. I would like to get some things off my chest but maybe a blog isn't the place to do it. I don't particularly need feedback, I'd just like to get the thoughts from my head onto paper, much like vomiting.

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    1. Oops!
      Blogging can be a very satisfying activity and I would suggest you start again if your current blog is too well-known. Blogging has helped me clear out a few dark corners and it has also helped me to look at things with a much more discerning eye. I have actually become more aware of my surroundings, which can't be bad.

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  34. I have come to value time spent in the blogosphere and yes, it has become a time consuming obsession. I really value being exposed to people from different cultures/age groups/demographics. People I am unlikely to meet in real life. And, being shy, if I did meet them I would probably smile politely and drift away.
    Your blog is one I always like to look in on - for your beautiful scenery, your thoughts and your garden. Thank you for all of those things.

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    1. Thank you for your kind words, dear Child. That is the big boon of the blogworld, we get to 'meet' like-minded people, we get to learn, to understand, to appreciate others in totally different walks of life and areas of the globe. Yes, that is what I appreciate too; I have learnt a lot since I started and hope to continue doing so.

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  35. hallo, schön, dich wieder zu lesen, man ist ja schliesslich nicht an deine Abwesenheit gewöhnt! ich denke, man solle sich nicht zu viele fragen in dieser hinsicht stellen. man sagt ja: der dichter schreibt,weil er schreiben muss und ich denke, da steckt viel wahrheit dahinter. vielleicht ist dies auch eine art reinigung der seele. sinnlos wäre es geradezu, wenn man sein privatleben hier ganz veröffentlicht. warum nicht einfach seine gedanken und beobachtungen niederschreiben. wenn sie interessieren, wie das bei dir ja offensichtlich der fall ist, warum sich dann noch diese fragen stellen? man muss sich ja nicht - unnötig - sorgen :-)! du hörst bald von mir, in einem mehr privaten raume!
    LIEBE GRUESSE DIR! renée

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    1. Danke fuer die Blumen, Renee. Post ist inzwischen privat abgegangen.
      Blogging ist ein so seltsames Revier, da gibt es andere Regeln als anderswo. Es nimmt auch eigentlich sehr viel mehr Zeit in Anspruch, als ich zu opfern bereit bin, da muss ich mir schon hin und wieder Gedanken drum machen. Aber recht hast du, leger geht auch, sogar noch besser.

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  36. Hello Friko,

    congratulations - you are one of the three winners of my giveaway!

    And because the topic of this post is one I find very interesting, I have linked to it from my blog, hoping that's alright with you (of course I'll the link off if you prefer that).

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    1. Of course it's alright to link. And thanks for my socks! I look forward to wearing them, it's cold enough for warm socks.

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  37. I think of blogging as being a bit like talking, Friko. Why do we talk with people, tell them about our lives or our thoughts or our prohlems? Because we are social beings. In return, we hear about them, we stay connected with other humans and sometimes we get affirming feedback - or feedback which tells us that our thinking is a bit out of line.

    We learn about life.

    But there comes a time when a sort of sixth sense says that perhaps that's not a good idea to keep chatting with others, either online or in person. There doesn't have to be a reason, just a matter of keeping a balance. I hope you continue - I enjoy your posts and your comments on mine.

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    1. I will most certainly continue, I seem to have become addicted to writing a blog. Writing more than reading, actually. So, I need to find a balance, as we all do; should it become a chore, I'll stop; Life is quite complicated enough already to let blogging be a yoke.

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  38. Having just had a little blog break of my own, I was reminded once again how important it is to step back, stay in the "real" world a bit, and think anew. As we discussed a bit by telephone (a lovely example of moving from the cyber to the real, at least a bit—a person there at the other end, with an actual voice!), it's hard to keep a proper balance with these cyber tools. I fail repeatedly. For me, the blog was meant to be a way for me to maintain some, however rudimentary, writing discipline, to follow the thread of a topic instead of flit briefly past as I am wont to do. The big bonus I didn’t expect was to find compatriots out there who engage at a thoughtful level with what I write, and who write thoughtfully themselves. At the same time, what happens all too frequently is that I let myself become distracted with the "social" part and don't buckle down and write as I intended. I haven't yet found the key to finding and keeping the right balance and suspect it will remain elusive.

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    1. You and me both, Susan.
      I wish I could find that elusive balance between the social side and the writing side.
      The solution may have to be to be more ruthless and please oneself first, do what brings most enjoyment first and let the rest follow on from there. It is impossible to do it all, there'd be no time left in the day for anything else. And that would make us very boring bloggers.

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  39. I had a bit of blog stillness recently myself, Friko, and appreciate much of what you have to say here. I blog because I like to write, I have things to say, I ramble (like I'm doing right now), and blogging helps keep me disciplined in the art of writing. As to comments, there is nothing wrong, in my mind, with politeness and positive reinforcement in comments. They help to validate what we have to say. There is also nothing wrong with civil discourse and disagreement. I tend to read blogs where things stay civil. I have found that I need to temper how much time I spend reading blogs and commenting. Like the child I really am, if I set a timer I stay honest with my time.

    Now, having said all that, let me say how pleased I am to know that you will continue to write your blog.

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    1. Like you I blog because I like to write. The hard part comes when the writing takes a back seat because the reading and commenting take over. I think you have found a good balance for yourself; I shall endeavour to do likewise.

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  40. I really enjoyed your thoughts on blogging, Friko. Especially your thoughts regarding more personal posts, and whether or not one should tread there. Made me think about my own posts, and how I've find people stumbling across my blog via some rather salacious word searches. Makes me worry about posts I've written about my kids, the pictures I've published, etc...

    Yes, I still blog, and I still write fairly personal posts. It's where the muses take me, and that's really why I blog. To write. To organize, sort it out, share. Glad you'll still be sharing. ;)

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    1. There's personal and intimate. I've been fairly open about a lot of things in my personal life, not all of them flattering. But as I said in the post, when it comes to the dark stuff, the embarrassing stuff, stuff I wouldn't even tell my friend about, that stuff I keep to myself. For now anyway. If this blog were completely anonymous, that might be different.

      I've done slightly salacious and I've been a bit rude about others, but I don't find that embarrassing. Funny, we all have different cut-off points.

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  41. I was interested in your blog and thought I would comment but made the mistake of reading other people's comments and now I can't be arsed to be erudite and interesting. I write more than I read. I write because I like to. I never thought anyone would read but if they do that pleases me. I do now feel a need to service my blog so utterly understand that obligation, but generally that is fine. If I don't want to blog, I don't, but I always pull back from fading away altogether. It's ego I suppose, but I protect myself from that thought by believing that I would do it if it all went down the toilet. Would I continue if no one seemed to be reading or responding? In all honesty, maybe not. It would feel like the classic pissing in the wind.

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    1. Elizabeth, you cannot not be erudite and interesting. Even late at night, after a glass or two? I wouldn't think that there's a single blogger for whom ego is not a major part, possibly the greater part of the desire to blog. We are all clamouring for attention and if we didn't want to be read by other bloggers we'd find a different outlet. A private diary, maybe, or as in the olden days, a commonplace book.

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  42. I always enjoy your post, Friko, because they are so honest, so I feel I can be as well. I saw that there were 81 comments and I'm not reading them. If I inadvertently repeat other thoughts, oh well!

    Been thinking the same thing . . . why do I force myself to read and write blogs?? Many are great, inspiring, funny, and entertaining, but honestly, I work! I don't have hours to put into this habit!

    Still, I was checking a few tonight (relaxing before I correct papers!) and yours was one I chose. Why? Because I am always prodded to think a little deeper when I read your words. :)

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    1. Thanks for the kind words, Sandi. Blogging can be fun if we ration our consumption - isn't that the same with everything we do ? - but I doubt that I could do as much of it as I do if I still had to work for my living. It's marvellous when you're retired!

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  43. Modern life doesn't offer many opportunities for a lot of us to have much contact with our neighbours .... no Monday mornings spent hanging out the washing and comparing out Persil whites , or Sunday mornings washing our cars and moaning about the bypass .... and blogging provides a substitute of sorts .
    But it does have one big advantage . You don't all have to see the state of my whites . And we all get to pick our "neighbours" .

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    1. You clearly don't live in a village in the depths of the UK countryside. You can't leave the house without falling over neighbours who want to chat and gossip. My village shop is less than five minutes away: it takes at least half an hour to go for a pint of milk. Do I still need to blog?

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  44. Dear Friko, . . . I've used your questions to discover why I keep writing stories from my life and sharing them with people who, like yu, I will probably never seat across the table from and enjoy a cup of oolong tea. And I come up with a couple of things:

    1) I started blogging because I wanted an avenue for selling the 670 copies of "A Cat's Life: Dulcy's Story" that the publisher had given me when the book went out of print. Moreover, having moved away from my friends of thirty-six years, I was lonely. And finally, several friends had suggested I write a memoir and doing so on-line made sense to me.

    2) Rather quickly, I discovered that to sell books, I needed readers. So I started reading other blogs. Then I got hooked--into reading and commenting. Why? because I found these bloggers interesting. Their lives were different from mine and had been different all along. Now, it seems that I'm watching their life stories unfold like a novel that's captured my mind and spirit. And so I continue to read and comment and look for bridges between us.

    Well, enough. I share your need to sometimes simply be and not feel the compulsion to read and write and comment. And yet . . . there is a whole world out there that blogging has introduce to me and I'm embracing it. But every so often I plan to take time off to regroup.

    Peace.

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  45. Hullo Friko - You do not know me. I was given a link to your latest post by DJan, so I came and I read. Very interesting, for I had posted a question to DJan asking what "servicing my blog" was. I guess I found the answer, sorta right here. This was a most interesting read - for I have often wondered some of the same thoughts myself. I started blogging last March 2011 as a challenge to see if I could master it. You know, the lure of the unknown and new tech stuff to learn. Well, after many errors , etc,etc, I did manage to figure a lot of it out and mostly enjoyed writing about small town stuff here in Atlantic Canada, not ever expecting anyone to read my posts, let alone leave a comment. I found, over the months, that there are people all over the world tuning into my little blog and reading about Atlantic Canada and some of the stuff we do everyday. In return, I have met a few handfuls of people who live very interesting lives and completely different from mine and its kinda like swapping stories. You grow to ?know this virtual world of bloggers and its quite fun. I do not post often and try to make things interesting. I did not realize that the things we do everyday (well, most every day) would be interesting to others. I have met some wonderful girls n guys and have learned so much about how other people live and REALLY, we're not that different - we just have different experiences. I guess the different experiences is what draws me most - I do take the time to read the small handfull of posts that come my way and I honestly comment on each. I am going to have to thank DJan for sending me your way. I shall be back to read a little more, as I am on my way out the door to walk PJ before the next downpour. Cheerio for now. Lilly

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  46. You really did get a lot of comments and worked very hard at replying. Yesterday, trying to get back into blogging (because The Man asked when I was going to finish writing about our doggie holiday), I spent FIVE HOURS just organising pictures that I might or might not use. I thought it a complete waste of a day and today, Ihave to catch up on all the cleaning I missed doing yesterday. Oh yay.

    Well, that's my quick rant about blogging, which I must admit to finding a bit of a millstone these days. You don't have to reply :)

    Have a great day, Friko x

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  47. Very interesting, Friko -- I think we all do it for different reasons, and many you mentioned reflect mine. I also know that during the four weeks I haven't blogged because of travel and family issues, I've done a ton. And missed it terribly. I miss not knowing what people are up to, learning things from the more in-depth writers and reveling in the pretties I see on the art blogs I visit. I miss people's stories and telling my own.

    We all spend our time in different ways. I expect that when I retire, I'll blog more regularly and do more things more regularly. Right now, time is what it is, so I do what I can. And love it.

    Another note -- I'm with you on not writing on certain things. I rarely talk about work (unless it is something good) or politics or religion (hot buttons). I have enough to say without!

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  48. I do find your posts long or short a good read...I am not being polite. I would not tell you if I hated your posts, but I certainly would NOT comment. I think that blogger readers make us blogger writers evolve. Not necessarily in the direction we want to evolve. But that separates the writers from the writers I guess. I think this is comment 93...hope you read it!

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  49. It occurs to me that one reason I enjoy your posts is their staying power. Because of work constraints, I've hardly been able to keep up with my own blog the past two weeks - let alone those of other folk. Yet, when I come here, there's always something of substance to read and think about, even if I come in "late". What a gift that is!

    Once I've finished lunch and headed back to work for the afternoon, I suspect I'll think a little more about the balance between reading, commenting and writing. It's a problem for us all, and it's a fact that, if I intend to do any "real writing", it's the social aspects of blogging that may have to take a hit. More and more often, I find myself wishing I could retire. Adding a few hours to the day certainly would be a blessing!

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Comments are good, I like to know what you think of my posts. I know you'll keep it civil.