Why Odd.
Jane is celebrating her one-year blog anniversary today. Who is Jane? Jane writes a blog called, They Call Me Jane. Jane’s blog is fun, current and a little Odd. I think you might enjoy reading it.
My new blog friend, Jane, wrote a post challenging us to write about blogging. She gave us a number of topics to choose from and I’m sure this post will come close to one of the topics. I’m just not sure which one.
My Odd Family began as a blog to collect and share stuff. Blogging is such an amazing medium for show and tell. We can share pictures, video, words, the things we like, the people we enjoy. Odd is my family, my friends, my neighborhood. Odd is one way I continue to connect to Joe. I like to write, I like to connect, I like to share, and I quickly found Odd to be a wonderful place to do all three. Odd is messy, a conversation, a place to feel included.
When Joe died in June of 2009, My Odd Family came to a silent halt. In August, Joe sent me a sign of encouragement, motivating me to blog on. In the months that followed Joe’s death, Odd became a place for me to connect with other people in a meaningful, yet safe way. I shared my experiences around Joe’s sudden death, becoming completely responsible for my thirteen-year-old, managing hearth, home and business without another on-premise adult. Odd helps me keep things in perspective, helps me from getting stuck for too long, and to notice that today is different from yesterday.
Odd is a member of our family. Cole, an only child, fights with Odd like a sibling. “Do not put THAT on ODD, Mom!” “Mom, are you writing Odd again?” “Mom, will you publish this video on Odd?” Cole even uses Odd to negotiate. “Mom, if you let me make dry ice bombs, you can write about them on Odd.” I suspect anyone who writes a blog feels the pain of family censorship. The only person on the face of the earth who might defend my right to write about “that” might be another blogger.
My blogging goals are simple: to write and to be read. When I finish writing a post and enjoy reading my own words over and over, I know I have a good start to what I hope will continue as a conversation. I love it when readers leave comments on my blog posts, because for me, blogging is all about conversation.
Pooh Bear explains it this way:
“That buzzing noise means something. If there’s a buzzing noise, somebody’s making a buzzing noise, and the only reason for making a buzzing noise that I know of is because you’re a bee. And the only reason for being a bee that I know of is making honey. And the only reason for making honey is so as I can eat it.” So he began to climb the tree.
I hear the words, buzz around for a bit, climb the tree, and write the words. Then I share them and hope I connect with you.
Katybeth
I loved hearing about your reasons for continuing ODD and I’m taking it as a compliment that you consider me ODD, too. And I’m so very glad to have met you through our blogs! Thanks for celebrating with me today!
Thanks for the inspiration, Jane!
Katybeth
Blogging is about conversations, you are right! Conversations with myself. With people who are out there who may be reading, even though they do not leave a comment. It is all good. I am grateful for this outlet otherwise I may just burst!
Don’t burst!! LOL! Thanks for dropping by odd and visiting with me! Hope to visit with you again soon!
Katybeth
Katybeth, I do enjoy you so!
The story of your Joe’s sign… oh my! I’m so glad you linked it. I’d have hated to miss that sweet post.
You have such a lovely spirit. . . long may you write! (Sorry, Cole! 😉 )
Thanks Mary Lee, for the encouragement when you live with a 14 year old you need it! I’m pretty sure he could nail that squirrel if you need reinforcement’s just let me know! 😉
It’s interesting how we sometimes start blogging with one intention, and the process changes our intention, and us.
It is interesting. Perhaps its because our blog is lives through us. As we change our blog follows.
Thanks for stopping by Odd!
Beautiful post! At BlogHer this past week, there were a lot of discussions about what to blog and not to blog in relation to your family. I think it’s all about finding a balance.
I think it about balance and that balance changes…which is when it get a little sticky. Unless of-course you are @dooce and you can ride the edge with gay abandonment.
Blogging is about conversation, especially with myself, I’ve noticed. And Pooh? He has some of the best conversations around. Thanks for sharing this one here. I love the analogy of industrious honey-making (and eating!) to blogging.
It is about talking to yourself in an out loud sort of way. I look to Pooh and Dr.Seuss for a lot of my life perspectives.
Hi Katybeth:
I too often struggle with what I “can” include in my blog…my kids sometimes say, “Don’t put that in there!” (which usually makes me want to do it more!…evil grin).
Love that particular quote from Pooh…
Wendy
I usually negotiate….and sometimes, I just don’t ask. A sales manager once told me after you ask you reduce your options 100%. So I go the forgiveness route.