Friday, September 17, 2010

Wherefore Doest Thou Blog?

Today I was talking to my sister about how technology proof she is. Seriously-the woman has an iPhone and uses it for only making calls and checking her work email...she doesn't even use iTunes! I call her grandma for a reason. Anyway, we were talking about all the things that she could (but doesn't) do with her iPhone and I said that she should use it to get online and check out some blogs. Her response?

I just don't get blogs-why would people write stuff about their lives if they're not famous? I guess if they want to they can, but why should I read it?

Uh....because it's awesome? To be fair I my sister doesn't know that I'm a blogger, and I am probably biased, but still-I think the appeal of blogs is universal to anyone who would actually read one. Blogs provide an amazing support network-I mean, it's people from around the world connecting with each other. You can find people who are interested in the same things you are, people who have new ideas about things you love and old information you might not be able to find on your own. You can get advice and support from people who have been where you are and even find people who will occasionally laugh at your jokes (even if they are really, really terrible like mine). The world is such a huge place that there are bound to be people who have things in common with you-but nothing builds a strong community across the miles the same way blogging does. Communities of moms. Communities of skateboarders. Communities of hipsters. Communities of people who collect garden gnomes. Communities of people who chew ice habitually. There is no where that blogs don't go! No one that cannot find a single blog they enjoy.

No one that cannot reach out and connect with people.

Since blogging I have found friends like Kirsty, who despite living over 1000 miles away and never actually meeting me, was willing to give me pregnancy advice based on her experience as a doula and mother of 4 (with one on the way now, congrats!!)...and Kirsty is just one of 210 people who currently care enough to read about MY life, to cheer me on and commiserate with me, to laugh at my jokes and share recipes, even though I am basically nobody. Even though I (sometimes) abandon my blog for several months at a time because I'm busy at school-I will still get emails asking how school is going or how things are with Hubby's work after he was wrongfully terminated.

Why would anyone blog? Why should people read about each other's boring, non-famous lives? I guess there is only one real answer for that.....

Because there is nothing more important than people...their stories, their experiences, their message-connecting with other people, learning about them, and exchanging knowledge and information is what makes the world go 'round.

Plus it's pretty fun to meet cool people without ever having to leave the house.

2 comments:

Vodka Logic said...

Great post and I so understand.. no one understands me either..

I would rather read about your unfamous life than the celebs anyday

Melissa aka Equidae said...

may i add that our mundane life is much more real and important to us all than that of some celeb who really doesnt know where to start to actually live :)