At the risk of sounding dramatic or cheesy, this space has been one of the most influential parts of my life – wonderful and gratifying and has brought me incredible joy and fulfillment. I’ve loved sharing my experiences and stories and hearing yours.
What I love about writing is that it enables me to fully express myself in a way that I usually cannot otherwise. I’m as addicted to Twitter as anyone, but I cannot deny that it forces me to truncate my thoughts almost to the point of not being able to fully express myself. (It doesn’t fit into a tweet? Not worth saying! And then I forget how to say actual stuff.) Plus, you tweet something and it’s gone in a blink of an eye, swept away by a thousand other tweets down the stream of Twitter.
What I’m trying to say is, I’m a grandma and can’t keep up with Twitter.
I’ve also felt a bit stifled lately in terms of what I can write about. Cautious about writing about anything that could be construed as controversial in the slightest way for fear of offending someone. In an effort to accept that I cannot please everyone all the time, I’m going to be doing NaBloPoMo this month (ie: post every single day of November). It’s how this blog started, 5 years ago, with 30 days of ‘green tips.’ I did NaBloPoMo for three years, then had a newborn and it went out the window.
So, I’m going to blog every single day for this month. Feel free to ignore me. It won’t all be compelling or meaningful and I might go down in a fiery ball of flames, but here’s to blogging! Cause I blog like it’s still cool.
Good luck! I’m looking forward to it:)
I’m completely biased here, but I think Twitter has damaged the blogging community. As someone who refuses to join Twitter, I have watched the blogging community dramatically change over the past few years. A number of my favorite bloggers have all but disappeared, self-admittedly due to the time they spend on Twitter. And many of them, on the rare occasions they do return to their blogs, say they don’t really know how to write blog posts anymore. It’s fine, I guess … each community serves it’s purpose … but, a part of me thinks it’s a real shame to lose complete thoughts to 140-character splashes of emotion. If it’s not clear already, I am all for your commitment to NaBloPoMo this year!
I think I’m going to join you in this. I’ve never done NaBloPoMo before but think this could be fun!
I’m not on Twitter because I don’t like it. But I love your blog (just started following you recently) and I’m looking forward to your posts all month!
I’m participating this year!!
Hi, I just started reading your blog, and I feel like we’re almost the same person! lol! I look forward to your future posts!
Fun! I might try this, although I leave for out of town 3 different times in November and have a friend coming to visit, so I’m not sure it’s feasible. BUT WE’LL SEE.
Also, just a suggestion, but if you’re looking for content, just post a picture of your adorable boy. More Gabe is always the answer :-)
Best of luck! I’ve tried NaBloPoMo twice in the past and both times I got so tired of trying to come up with something to post every single day that I took a few months off afterward – so now I don’t even consider joining in. I agree with Sarah – post more Gabe pictures :)
I think I might join in, too. Good luck to both of us!
Good luck! :)
Ah Ashley, this will be fun. Yours is one of the very best blogs I read. Can’t tell you how many times I’ve been inspired to make changes in my own life and/or supported for things I’m doing. I’ve learned a lot here too. Many times, your sharing about motherhood and Gabe have taken me back to the best years of my life when I was a young mom. Thank you!
I’m doing it too! It’s…really refreshing, isn’t it? To just talk on your space day in and day out. I say that now, on 11/6. Ask me again 11/25. ;-)