Does Blogging Validate Me? Part 2

  Yesterday I was questioning my blogging motives.   The problem is not that my blog is all about me. (it would be hard to write it about somebody else) I love the outlet and being a verbal processor I love to share my thoughts and stuff.  In the perfect world (which looks aesthetically like 1949 in my mind) I would have neighbors to share my day with.  Our children would play, we'd hang laundry side by side, sit together on the front steps for a mid morning smoke break, ... BBQ's, play bridge...you get the picture.  That simply isn't the case these days.  Neighborhoods are full of people who do not know each other.   The attached garage means you press a button pull in and go straight into the house no need to greet your neighbors.  Children's sports, recreation and play dates are organized and away from the home.  Very few women stay home and at the end of the day there are groceries to pick up, dinner to be made, piano lessons drive to, and so forth.  All of this means we connect less and have less in common.

   Politics, economics, trends, religion, and sports are just a few of the ways we are divided and less tolerant.  Yet the bottom line is we crave community.  So here we are social networking, blogging.  The need for others is strong.  I'd love it if you all lived in my neighborhood and although we wouldn't have to be the best of friends we could be friends.  This blog is the next best thing.  The problem for me becomes the sacrifices I make for my blog. Example: Time with my children, housework, and myself.  Yes, I do sacrifice parts of myself because I want to be liked.  I try not to do too many homeschool/Montessori posts because most of my readers aren't homeschoolers, I limit how much I talk about Jesus because many people equate that with religion -which brings me to politics... well I probably wouldn't mention that anyways.   Most of my readers are into vintage clothing and lifestyle.  This drives my blog to lean that direction.  Vintage has been a main staple in my life so it isn't hard to talk about and I enjoy it.  I just have to remind myself I drive my blog not my readers.  Does that make any sense?

  I'll admit I get excited by each and every new follower and when I lose one I feel kinda bad. How much better it feels to gain followers based on the complete, total real me.

P.S.  One of my favorite readers, Shannon,  just commented that online is the new back fence.   Said perfectly!