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I've been thinking recently about weblogs that I love, and more specifically why my weblog isn't as enjoyable as many of the others that I read.* The basic truth here is that I think I hold my potential readers at [something much longer than arm's] length. Part of the problem is that I don't like to let anyone too close to me. I've got my own stuff, you know? And while I can ramble on for hours and hours about knitting, celebrity gossip, various aspects of Playing Outside, puppies, and the tangled webs of my social groups, I'm not sure how to talk about the bigger stuff--the Stuff of Consequence. If blogging could actually be anonymous, maybe. But we all know that weblogs and real life are not mutually exclusive and writing something online can have pretty disasterous effects--especially since pretty much everyone in my life knows that I have a weblog, and most of my readers are offline friends as well.
"Quelle Surprise" is ostensibly an online diary, but one where I have limited myself to only talking about the most superficial goings-on in the world of me. Plus, you know, lots of knitting. In the past when I've touched on more intimate thoughts it has always been in a pretty vague way. I think the idea with that was "If you already know that Something Is Up, I am publicly acknowledging that. If you didn't already know that Something Is Up, I am telling you that there is stuff, but please don't ask." Of course, this is a dumb way to approach my personal life in my online diary. Those "in the know" misinterpret whatever I say, and the rest of the weblog-reading world just feels confused and left out. My solution has been to just not talk about personal stuff. But, yeah, can you say "boring"? I do. All the time. Right here!
So anyhoot, I am going to make more of an effort to make my online presence more truthful, more me. You may ask why. I mean, I could just decide to stick to the knitting talk, or give up the idea of a weblog altogether. However, I think if I could learn how to open up a little bit, I might be happier with myself. We've all got baggage, we've all got walls. But hello. I'm a single, thirty-two-year-old, renter. I can either keep closing doors, shutting myself away, and tying lots of little knots in string or, um, not. Trying to be a little more accessible? Scary, but probably a good idea.
Also, coming soon to a weblog near you (this one), I'm going to try to be better about actually replying to comments!
*see: Kristy, Laurie, and Heather for some very popular examples
Yay!
I say do it. I totally feel the same way about my blog but well... you know about my mother-in-law issues so I don't know if I will ever be able to open up the way I want. Good luck to you my dear. I support this idea wholeheartedly!
P.S. I am leaving for San Diego on the 19th of June... Let's get together before I go. K?
Thanks Fern!
Lady, yeah, um, MIL, etc. Thank you for the encouragement. Sorry I missed your call last night. I definitely want to get together AT LEAST once before you head for the summer. Let's make plans! (I'll call you later.)
I'm looking forward!
