I told John last night that I was thinking of deleting that last post because I wrote it when I was tired and it came out all sloppy and wonky and it wasn’t well written. Truthfully? I thought about deleting it because I imagined one of those people who thinks, just on general principle, that "Mommybloggers" shouldn’t be blogging, reading it and thinking, "See? This is the thing I’m talking about!"
For some reason, defending the genre of personal blogging has left me
feeling sorta like the personal stories I tell should have more weight
or importance. And, I totally do not believe that, because that kind
of life makes me tired just thinking about it. I don’t know. I’ve not
been able to come up with much of anything to write recently and partly
it’s because I was imagining this imaginary person on the other end
filing me away under boring and useless.
Eh. Fuck that. I know I don’t care. If I want to write a lame
entry about taking my kids to the beach, so what? And if the photos
are not great and not where I want them to be, that’s okay. If it has
to have some deeper meaning, I could say that it’s all a reflection of
my imperfect, often rushed, always tired life. But, really it isn’t so
deep as all that.
In my opinion (which is usually worth what you paid for it – except in this particular instance when it is priceless!) there is nothing better than a trip to the beach. It cures whatever ails you. After reading your post, I was immediately reminded of something that Mother Teresa said: “We cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love.” Regardless of those self-important women who dis “mommy blogging,” the most important job you will ever do is rear your children. Whether you are lucky enough to have that be your main job, it is THE job that has the most impact on civilization as a whole. Finding other mothers who are engaged in the same vital activity and sharing the good, the bad and the ugly of childrearing builds community and all who contribute profit. Try not to be angry at those who would degrade what you do, and remember, we humans are motivated by only 2 things: Love and Fear. Those women are not coming from love. You are and that’s what counts! Love you and your little family – Mom
i read your site because it is an honest slice of life. you are a good mom, a good person, and a good writer. it makes me feel better as a mother to know that other people are struggling with the same issues i am. thanks!
i have that little critic voice in my head, too, but mine comes from my mother-in-law.
My philosophy… it’s my blog, I’ll do what I want. Including humiliating myself for a laugh, complaining about motherhood and trying to be remotely creative.
I like your beach post, tiredness and all. Because who isn’t tired sometimes? And who doesn’t want to remember the “little” moments in life?
We vote with our time. If i find a blog boring, i stop reading it. It really is that simple. It doesn’t mean that everyone will find it boring, and i shouldn’t have any need to criticise it either. I wonder at those who do find a need to criticise.
Do what you like, it’s your space.
oh i liked that post. i love going to the beach at night when the sand is cold and the air is nice and crisp and you get to wear a sweater.
Really? boring is in the eye of the beholder I guess. I read your post last night and wasn’t bored in the least. I even went and looked at all your photos at flickr, that’s how unbored I was.
Life isn’t always full of profound thoughts. Sometimes it is about an evening at the beach or a night looking at stars. And it’s okay. In fact, it’s good.
Your life is filled with activity and kids and little adventures with them and all sorts of stuff like that. It’s so different than my quiet life. That’s why I read your blog. I want to hear about stuff in a busy family like yours.
Seeing pictures of and reading about a family trip to the beach is one of the reasons I hang out here. Plus you’re mighty cool.
I think that it is more than just a few women who poke fun at Mommy Bloggers. I feel that dismissal from many people in many ways irl. It is easy to say that they are all wrong and what we do is important, but to feel it, that’s hard. I enjoy how you capture the little moments. To me the sum total of what “it” is that is so important about being a mom is the sum total of all those little moments. It isn’t something that can easily be defined and when I read your blog your moments touch me, because I get “it”.
One can’t be fabulous all the time, love. Be good to yourself.
I’m on the other side. I think, oh, if only Max was little and couldn’t read yet, I’d have soooo much material for my blog!
The bottom line is that now that there are so many good bloggers and so much ‘fame and fortune’ being doled out to bloggers, it’s easy to forget why we started doing it in the first place.
We do it because it’s an opportunity to be ourselves. Whoever and however we are.
And I liked the beach post.
I blog for me more than for anyone else. If someone reads it and thinks it’s funny or takes something good away from it, that’s a super thing.
I loved your beach entry. I’d love to be near a beach to just pack up and go to relax and clear my brain!!!!
I am so envious of your trip to the beach….Just remember your audience. They love you and want to be your best friends and your neighbors. We all want to live right up the street and go to the beach *with* you, but we can’t and thanks for giving us a little taste of it. It’s damn hot over here and the nearest beach’s water isn’t even all that cold (as it’s the Gulf). I have a memory of the Pacific in Cali and how it is fer-reak-in’ cold! SO all of that is to say screw all *them* and focus on US! We’re hanging on your every word!