The 3rd house in astrology is associated with writing, conversation, personal thoughts, day-to-day things, siblings and neighbors.
Tuesday, September 14, 2004First blogiversary
It’s been a year since I launched this blog with that most original of blog posts, “This is my first post…” I began by writing very short posts mostly linking to things on the web. A few days after launching, I expressed a fear of not being creative enough or having too boring a life to write about and reminded myself to “think of Harvey Pekar,” the Cleveland file clerk who turned his life into the great comic book, American Splendor (I’d just seen the movie). I guess I got over that fear. Creative blocks? Boring life? Heh, why should that stop me from posting!
Earlier this week, Lorianne at Hoarded Ordinaries heralded the arrival of new babies to friends’ as well as the numerous new “baby blogs” of her Expository Writing students at
When you birth a baby or a blog, you never really know what it will grow up to be: you simply try your best and hope that something good comes out of your effort. At least blogs don't cry or scream or spit up, and I haven't yet had to change a smelly blog-diaper.
I told her I have changed a smelly blog-diaper and it ain’t pretty. But her point about never really knowing what our blog-babies will grow up to be is right on. And like a reluctant mother, I didn’t know how much in love with my “baby” I’d become – a real addiction – along with the “babies” of so many other bloggers out there. I never knew that I’d find such an expansive range of virtual friends, companions, mentors, seekers, fellow travelers – a community – that would stimulate me, support me, and challenge me to stretch myself to try things out here – all out in the public sphere of the web, too.
I was thinking the other day how normally, in person, on the surface, I maintain a certain amount of Yankee reserve that’s at odds with what’s going on inside. But out here in the blogosphere it’s all turned inside out. Blogging makes you pull out what’s inside and put it forth for public consumption, albeit with a greater or lesser amount of editing. That’s uncomfortable, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned over all these years is that there’s no growth without being uncomfortable and it turns out it’s not only survivable but can be downright fun.
Cheers! Thanks to all of you out there for making this such a great experience.
