Starting Somewhere

Friday, Feb 25, 2011
Today I briefly poked around looking at blogs.  I don't know much about blogging.  A few people I know have blog pages.  I have always wondered what the point of a blog was.  Today I learned that in addition to giving the writer a place to vent, or teach, or lecture, apparently there is the potential to make money from some of them.  It has something to do with people clicking on ad links, I think.  Hmmm.  Monetize?  OOOO!  I looked at some websites and could feel the look of confusion on my face.  Hmmmm.  And I was so proud of myself for figuring out facebook....
It would seem there are a wide variety of blog types.  The couple that I've read seem to be a combination of family diary, cookbook, and testimonial.  I started thinking about what sort of blog would fit me.  Then I started thinking about what a fun blog Erma Bombeck would have written.  That was far more entertaining.  She was hilarious.
First I began thinking about something uplifting, sharing the joys and lessons of life. After all, I am a 43 year old mom of three teenage girls.  I began laughing.  Then I thought about stories of homeschooling.  I realized there are only so many stories you can write about the phrase "YES!  We ARE having school today." Thoughts of a blog about food, and cooking, crossed my mind.  Family food, kitchen, cooking, those really are passions of mine ..... along with a zillion other people out there.  (Apparently to generate interest in your blog, you should have something that stands out.)  Garden?  Weed farm.  We christened it 'The Bird Sanctuary' last year when we realized there was a flock living in the 8 foot tall weeds.  Crafts?  (lol. Does duct tape count?)  Organization?  ROTFL.  When I locate the black hole that instantly attracts whatever item I've just put down, I'm going to name it STTM (acronym for Stef's Temper Tantrum Maker). People write about politics; show biz; financial markets; their neighbors.  They write about religion, and woodworking, and how they have the all time best way to cure strife in the home.  The subjects are limitless.
As I have been spending the evening thinking about blogs, I am realizing the main point of a blog is to say, "HEY!  Here I am!  I have something to say!"  That drive to communicate, share, be recognized, is ingrained in our nature.  Look at the pyramids.  Mount Rushmore.  Stonehenge.  Graffiti. Time capsules. (Remember those?  "Someone's going to dig this up 100 years from now!") Oh and that record they sent into outer space.  Hopefully they have turntables on Altair-4.
So in trying to trying to reach a conculsion about blogs, I realized that over the evening my opinion changed.  I still don't know what type of blog I would write.  But I understand a little better the opportunity to share news with family, hope with others, recipies for the culinarily challenged.  And it made me smile.