why I read and write blogs

While I haven't signed up for the NaBloPoMo, I was trying to post as close to everyday as possible in November. So far I've just missed two days. This remembering to post is easier said than done.

I don't know if I started a blog to make myself write more often or just to keep track of the little writing I do. When I was a teenager, I kept many journals. I still have them in a box in a closet. I reread them a few years ago, but noticed that they didn't seem to say much. I guess I had hoped they would paint a picture of my ups and downs, but them seemed to just be my downs, anxiety, anger at my parents or friends. When I was happy, I don't think I wrote much. There's no big revelation about my sexuality, but lots of worry about college and my future. Since it was private, using it to vent made sense really. There was no one in my life to whom I felt I could express those worries.

Blogging began as a way to have a sort of big conversation with a couple of friends from college. We all joined Livejournal and thought it would be easier and more fun than emailing. More casual and chatty. It was, but only a few of us kept it up. I had already started reading some blogs regularly, first those from writers at Televisionwithoutpity.com and then infertility/parenting ones. I never thought of looking for blogs written specifically by lesbians. Once I realized there was a ttc community, it took me awhile to find the lesbian ttc community. When I started knitting again last year, I was a bit sharper and easily found many wonderful crafty blogs.

I switched to blogger after realizing that my casual friend conversation could be more public and that I should comment more often on blogs I read weekly. Ok, ok I also switched because one of my good friends did it first. Blogs to me are like newspapers or magazines. I tend to read in category. Some days I go straight for the knitting blogs. I don't use bloglines because I like seeing the formatting each person uses, so I click down my list, reading all the new entries I find. Together they are like my own personal knitting magazine. I see new patterns and new techniques. I find out about knitalongs and monthly celebrations. There might be a new yarn that looks amazing. Or I'll throw myself into the parenting/pregnancy blogs. I'm one of those dorks that click on dooce.com almost every day. If there are ads, I try to click on some of them to be helpful.

I still often feel like I don't have enough friends sometimes, but I do enjoy the blogging community. I know when/if we conceive, there will be a little titter of excitement when I get to post that we're pregnant. It won't just be us, our families, our friends. I suppose the generosity and friendliness about blogs and commenting is one of my favorite things. It's so easy to write a little comment of sympathy or encouragement, to put out good vibes to someone regardless if you've never met.