Year Three

This is my third year participating in NaBloPoMo. The first year I participated because I thought “all the cool kids (a small universe of people I read) were doing it”. I was anxious to become “one of them” and have my name on the lips of the ether-world. What I found at the end of that first month was that not one “cool kid” noticed my presence and I did not garner terabytes of followers. BUT I’d found something much better. I’d found some discipline and my writing voice.

The second year of NaBloPoMo I found some new friends. Some I’ve stuck with – and some have slipped by the sidelines. My personal goal last year was to write shorter posts. (No – you didn’t miss anything, I didn’t meet my goal). A reoccurring theme by many participants was their desire to make their posts “more lofty”, or “thoughtful.” Perhaps that’s another way of say not so trite and self-centered.

The question, “Am I satisfied with what I write?” is something I’ve been mulling over for the past year. What do I write about? What content do I seek out to read on the net? Am I providing material I’d be interesting in reading? Would it hold my attention?

It’s true. I write about me. Does that mean I’m self-absorbed? Possibly.

I don’t really know what I’d write about if I didn’t write about me. I don’t feel compelled to stand on a soapbox very often. This doesn’t mean I don’t have strong opinions about spirituality, politics, the economy, and our government. It just means my positions on these issues rarely change when reading someone else’s ranting. I’m most likely to reevaluate my beliefs/positions after reading/listening to carefully written and crafted arguments. I’m not very interested in putting together that quality of argument to persuade an anonymous readership to change so I just keep my positions/thoughts to myself.

I flit between several communities within the blogosphere; those who write about family; those who write about food; and those who write about writing.

I’m deeply intrigued by the “Foodie” blogs and read an assortment religiously. Although I love cooking … and eating … and I’m passionate about good food, I don’t think I can call myself a “Foodie Blogger”. I write about far more than just food – and every time I think about tailoring my writing to this one topic I feel claustrophobic – and like a fraud. Really! What do I know about food? Only how to follow directions, put together harmonious menus, and make sure my guests enjoy themselves when they sit around my table.

Reading about writers and the agents, is like peaking through the fence cracks at baseball players during spring training. I would never presume to think I’m part of the community. Maybe someday I might feel confident enough to claim proficiency with this craft, but currently I am happy to be an apprentice and a fan.

My goal this year is to stick to the commitment. There are several commitments I haven’t maintained this year. Perhaps if I can lock in one, the others will follow.