I’m terrible at joining communities online, unless I start them myself. Â (Ha ha, what does that say about me?)
But Melissa of Stirrup Queens always has new ideas to build community, and this one had special appeal to me. Â The idea of #Microblog Mondays is to post something once a week on our blogs that we would normally do on social media. Â And theoretically this will inspire us to all come back to blogging. Â Melissa’s idea is so idealistic, crazy, and ultimately hopeless, that I just knew I had to join up.
Take anything you would have thrown up on Facebook or Twitter or Instagram and place it on your blog. A passing thought. What you did over the weekend. What you’re looking forward to during the week. What you’re worried about. The strangest thing you observed on your way to work. The funny thing your kid said. A great picture you took during a hike. A funny picture you forgot about until you found it while looking for something else.
You can read more at her blog.
OK, here’s my one paragraph post that I would normally put on Facebook. Â Be glad that I am not boring you with it over there.
While I enjoy writing these Fictional Characters of New York that are flooding my blog lately, I am fully aware that I am hiding behind them. It’s as if I don’t know how to write a blog anymore. Â A personal blog is not a memoir. And I don’t want to create some sort of two-dimensional character that is a stand-in for the authentic self. I just don’t feel safe being myself with you, because I don’t know who you are.
Given the fact that I haven’t posted in a *really* long time to my blog, it’s highly unlikely anyone – anyone at all in the universe! – would see something I put there, as opposed to the eyeballs I’d nearly certainly get on FB (my other choice). So it would have to be something I didn’t care about anyone ever seeing. Hmmm…
“Take anything you would have thrown up on Facebook or Twitter or Instagram…”
Social media barf? How very apt.
As for the post itself, what makes you think we want the real you?
(Also, it’s TUESDAY today.)
I like it. Missed this week, but will start next.
The reason I blog is because no one knows me. Mostly. The people who find my blog and like it are there because of what I write. I find this gratifying.
I am hopeless!
I think this is such an interesting thought because blogging is essentially having a conversation with the priest in the confessional. You can’t see him. You can’t even totally trust that he’s listening; only that he’s there. Okay, I admit that I’ve never been to confession, but this is how I’ve always imagined it. Whereas at shul, if I have an issue, I’m sitting there, looking the rabbi in the face. I know he’s listening (or good at pretending). I know who is listening.
Blogging is hard because it’s trying to carry on a conversation with silent people. I tend to write for the people who speak up; that I know are there.
Since I love and respect both of you and your blogs, I’ll jump on it.
This is great, Neil. Thanks for sharing and getting the ball rolling (and the inspiration flowing). I get great response from my tiny IG updates and Facebook statuses and often feel like maybe it’s not enough substance to put into a formal blog post. But this tells me, I don’t have to set such strict parameters for myself. Thank you!
I have come to to conclusion that my blog is at the point of no return – as far as visitors who legitimately come to read my posts….and that is probably a good thing. Always looking for signs that it is time to move on!! getting many BIG signs 😀 Happy to see you are still blogging….