First, I want to start this post with a disclaimer...I mean no...absolutely no...disrespect by this post. None. I'm just verbalizing my differing opinion.
There's been some talk around the "blogosphere" about "Bold Blogging"...blogging about things that aren't always happy, funny, warm, cuddly and cute...you know?
Let me start by saying...to each their own. We're all entitled to write whatevertheheck we want to on our blogs, no?!! But, I do feel a little...well...put off by this.
I just wanna say, that just because I choose not to post about something "unpleasant" in my life, doesn't mean I am hiding it.
Here's my take:
You see, the thing is...I love my life. I feel so incredibly, remarkably, unbelievably blessed...and I like to focus on that.
I like to focus on the positives...the funny stories...the awesome things my husband does for me...the goofy ways my children show their love...the fun relationship I have with my mom and dad...how much I love my grandparents.
Those are the kinds of things that make the world go 'round for me.
The kinds of things that I like to focus on.
Part of me feels that "Bold Blogging", forces the writer to focus on the negativity in their life...on the bad stuff that happens, so that they have something to "blog boldly" about.
Is my life perfectly perfect 100% of the time?
Heck no!
I yell, my husband ticks me off, my kids make me angry, money is tight sometimes, and my house is a mess most of the time...but, it's not what I want to focus on, or write about.
And besides...it that the stuff that you really want to read about?
I like to get through the bad stuff in my life quickly, grow from it, learn from it and move on...all the while brushing the dust of the "bad stuff" off my hands. It's not that I'm trying to hide it, or make it seem like I have a perfect life...'cuz I'm not...and I don't!
No, I don't...I don't think anybody does...but, we can choose what we want to focus on. The good stuff...or the bad stuff.
And I like to focus on the good stuff!
The fun stuff...the happy stuff!
Does that make me naive? Perhaps...but, I guess I'd rather see the world through rose colored glasses...than dwell on the yuck in my life.
Is that wrong?
No. It's just me.
And that's all I can be.
Just me.
So, don't count on any bold blogging from this chick...you may be subjected to my "opinion" on something or other from time to time...but I that's as bold as I get!
Respectfully yours,
I agree totally!! I like to focus on happy things too because in the end, that's what counts. :)
ReplyDeleteAnd to that I say "You go girl!". I totally agree. Personally I like to surround myself with positive people whether they be "real life" or "virtual". We all have problems but why dwell. Your 'lightness' is the main reason I keep reading you. Besides, this is your blog and you should be able to write about what you like.
ReplyDeleteLindastamps at gmail dot com
I agree with you 100%. IMO "bold blogging" is just a way to try to stir up controversy and/or a bad attempt to keep people interested in your blog when you have nothing else to blog about.
ReplyDeleteAmen, sister! I happen to agree with you. :)
ReplyDeleteI don't think you are being disrespectful at all. You are just explaining why you blog the way you blog. Each to his/her own.
ReplyDeleteI tend to blog about whatever is on my mind at the time. Like today, for instance, I blogged about a homeless person I saw that was injured. My heart went out to him, so I felt led to blog about it.
I enjoy reading all different types of blogs. Just my two cents.
Good post, interesting topic :-)
So timely b/c I was just thinking about this very thing-how I pretty much blog about positive things. I came the conclusion that if I were to blog about the crappy things that happened throughout my day, I would not be helping myself. I wondered if more people would read if they felt that I was more "real". Maybe they would. I don't really care though. Maybe from time to time I will blog about things that bother me or something negative, but probably not. It's your blog and you can choose to write about whatever you want. I personally gravitate away from blogs of women who complain. Not b/c I think their bad people, just b/c I don't want to hear it. Also bad language... if I see it in a blog I won't follow.
ReplyDeleteYou do what you feel like doing and do it well!
I think there is a big difference between focusing on the positive (which is very inspiring, btw) and sugar-coating everything (which almost seems sneaky and deceitful).
ReplyDeleteI tend to be optimistic and blog about the things that make me feel good. The time spent with my children at the park. The awesome bread I baked. But I do also blog about the cake that didn't turn out or the rough day I had with my son. I use my blog to vent my feelings and frustrations, which aren't always positive :)
I agree with your post. I like to focus on the positive. If someone needs to vent, that is okay, but I do not think I would enjoy reading lots of negative things in blogs. Blogging is a social connection for some of us. I enjoy reading about the positive side of life, we get so much negative from the media every day. However if someone has a really bad day, I am up for giving positive reinforcement to them.
ReplyDeleteBold Blogging? Who made that new term us? Some professional blogger speaker at a random blogging conference Don't ever feel you have to follow the current flow. Be yourself and do your own thing. Walk your own walk. Blog your own blog anyway you want to.
ReplyDeleteYou go girl! I like reading your blog and even if I didn't , it wouldn't matter- it's YOUR blog! :-)
ReplyDeleteSometimes I like to blog a little boldly, but I'm a little melancholy so that's okay for me. But I like reading your fun, positive blog a lot!
Keep doin' what you're doin'!
~Heather
P.S. And I can see why you would want to write this post- when I had been reading other "blogging boldly" posts from others, it kinda made me feel guilty for not doing that more, but that wasn't right- i need to stay true to myself and what I'm comfortable with. :)
Perfect! I like to blog about fun happy things too! And I love to put opinions out there...and I love that you do too. Keep it up. I love reading.
ReplyDeleteI tend to agree with Cop Mama, I blog about whatever I am inspired to blog about. Just now I posted, I guess what could be considered a bold post about the children of Haiti. It's been on my heart for two days. Will I blog about my husband and I in a fight not likely, I might blog about struggles with my children or not.
ReplyDeleteI love your blog and I think you are fun, funny and honest. You know about the little one and her shopping phobia. Like many others have said this is your blog and your space.
Umm, I thought you were a bold blogger. I remember the bee incident, the promise to keep the house clean, your bedroom furniture being not what you want.
ReplyDeleteAll that to say, I don't think realness has to be depressing. Some people (you, Miss Crayon Wrangler, and some others) manage to put a wonderful spin on the downside. I like to call it purposeful joy. It can hang around even on the yuckiest days.
Oops. That was rather long! Leaving now. :)
i love your blog and posts just the way they are! no need to "boldly" blog anyways!
ReplyDeleteand you were not disrespectful at all! :)
Well, I can't say we're always chipper on ours, but if we were to be as 'bold' as some others, we'd have to have an anonymous blog!!!
ReplyDeleteLucy
Way to Boldly Blog about Boldly Blogging! That makes you Bold. *snort*
ReplyDeleteAnywho...you know I agree with you. Sure I don't toot sunshine, by why cry about it when you can compare it to unkeptcook's brussel sprouts? I prefer to take all those nasties in my life and make them laughable. I blog about them in that fashion so that perhaps someone else who is going through the same things can learn to laugh about it too.
Besides...if you wrestle a pig, you both get muddy and the pig likes it.
That is a silly term! This is the first i've heard it! LOL. I am usually happy in my blogs, i think. But i really just blog what i want to blog about. Like you know - the show i'm doing or the recipe i cooked, or our weekend. but i do have some stuff i've been learning about that i want to blog - but they aren't risky or anything LOL. i mean - idk - i am a big whiner LOL but i don't want a blog of nothing but whining or anger or venting. i may do them from time to time but not for the most part. I just blog about what i want to blog about! You know?
ReplyDeleteBut - your blog is funny. it is the happiest blog i read. and it has been known to make me smile when i'm having a bad or stressful day at work (b/c you know - i've got my own office now - so i tend to sneak on blogger more often than i probably should!!!)
So thank you for your fun sweet blog. :)
I am on the fence about this topic and have been thinking about this term over the last week or two. Before I read the actual term, I had told myself that my blog would be a place for me to document my life, my kids' lives, to ask for guidance from anyone who will read about things I am struggling with and to prayerfully possibly guide passerbys with my own experiences. It is the last two that may be seen as being negative but really they are positive because I am choosing to live and thrive through them. Struggles my husband and I have faced we have worked through together because we love one another and I want to share that in the hope of inspiring someone else who may think they are the only ones.
ReplyDeleteThe greatest part about blogging is there are no real rules on what and how to write. I LOVE your blog and enjoy seeing pictures of your babes and reading your witty posts (I am not witty to my dismay). I don't think people should try and force topics into their blogs just for the sake of being bold. Just go where God leads you and He'll do the rest is my belief.
Keep up your wonderful, happy, cheerful blogging! I will be here to read it! :)
sometimes it becomes only negative when you don't just keep things to yourself and that also doesn't mean you are hiding the bad stuff. I agree
ReplyDeleteHm...
ReplyDeleteWell, I think a gree. I'm glad that you are always a happy blogger and enjoy it. But not everyone around is that happy and sometimes I just want to get rid of some not so happy stuff. I mean, motherhood isn't always funny, is it?
But yes, I really enjoy those positive, funny and happy post which chear me up :-)
Just found your blog. There is absolutely nothing wrong with always looking on the positive fun side of things! I am following you now...interested in reading more!
ReplyDeleteMama M, do what you want. It is your blog! You don't have to bare all about your life! If you want to focus on the positive then do it. Besides, no one's life is perfect and there is no way I would want everyone to know that I yelled at my husband for a week straight thanks to Captain PMS (whoops, did I just let that slip?). Your blog is exactly that: YOUR blog. Keep it up! I enjoy reading it.
ReplyDeleteRight on Sista!
ReplyDeleteLOVE what Bethany said about Purposeful Joy! Love, Love, Love it . . . will be using it several times today :)
ReplyDeleteAnd I do think it describes you, M--you do choose to live in Joy. And I don't think you hide things--you don't have anything to hide perhaps but you ARE honest in a witty/funny way when things aren't great. Clearly and honestly the world NEEDS people like you to show them how to approach life WITH that Purposeful Joy. The issue is perhaps more about how we approach our world than about how we blog about it.
I think the "blogging boldly" thing could be/should be more about bolding "Authentically"--letting the blog reflect who you truly are. The reason people read your blog is that it's very very clear that you are Authentic. And I can vouch for that--the blogger you and the real you are one in the same :)
Great post! Proud of you!
Tara
The saying is true... misery does love company. I think folks who are sounding miserable in their blogs might be seeking solace from readers who are feeling the same. Nothing wrong with that--sometimes just knowing others are going through the same thing helps us heal.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I enjoy your upbeat blog, and I think it's clear you are just being yourself. I've also thought about that term and the content of my blog, and I've come to the conclusion that my blog may not fit the mold of others, but I enjoy rambling about random thoughts and adding a dash of humor when I can. Blog on, girl!
I agree that, if someone is to boldly blog every day, it gets old and I don't follow as frequently. However, on the other end, if someone is always bubbly optimistic and doesn't open up about the real things in their life, I tend to shy away from their blogs as well.
ReplyDeleteI'm a happy medium blogger. I love to share the happy times in my family, but I'm also more than willing to share the struggles (like the infertility issues we're going through). My struggles and the very things that have allowed me to connect with other bloggers. If my blog was devoted entirely to that, I would hope that someone would stop reading it!
I think if there's a good balance, then the occasional bold blog isn't always a bad thing. Just my opinion, of course! :)
I love your post! I am a glass half full girl too and while that bugs some people I like to focus on the positives! My husband and I balance each other out because I joke with him that he is Eyore sometimes "Gonna Rain." Thanks for your post!
ReplyDeleteGood for you mama!!! You blog about whatever your little heart desires!! That is the point of blogging after all!
ReplyDelete~WM
You do what you do best :) There's nothing wrong with focusing on the positive things in your life, it can only make your life and ours better. Thanks for the thoughts!
ReplyDeleteWhere is that darn like button?! I agree with you. We all should focus more on the positive in our lives.
ReplyDeleteI think a blogger is entitled to blog about those things they want to. If they only want to blog about the good things in their life, then that is what they should do. If a blogger is uncomfortable with sharing certain aspects of his or her life, he or she has NO obligation to share those, anyway, in the name of "bold blogging," or whatever name you might put on it.
ReplyDeleteJust because you choose not to talk about your struggles or weaknesses or the difficult parts of your life does not mean you are trying to hide something from people. No one's life is perfect. I would expect a reader to understand that, and to assume that even if you aren't talking about the hard stuff, the hard stuff is happening anyway.
I feel fairly strongly about this, myself, because I have no desire to talk about, for example, what my husband and I might be fighting about on a given day, or even that we necessarily ARE fighting. I don't think that's anyone else's business! Why should I feel obligated to tell my readers something like that just so they can say they are getting the "whole picture?"
Some people will find something to complain about no matter what. It's not worth trying to appease those people.
LOL. My (unrequested) $0.02. Not that I ever blog anymore, anyway...I need to get back to that!
I think it's a misnomer too. I like what Tara said about calling it 'Authentic blogging'. I'm hoping that's what the 'Bold blogging' initiators are meaning by that term.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I think there is a danger in airing ALL of your dirty laundry in graphic detail no matter who it 'may help'. There's a place for 'being real' and there's a place to keep things to yourself. Why deliberately put yourself in a place of scrutiny and vulnerability? You open yourself AND your family up to things that are no good. I went through a 'motive searching' time before I started blogging again and it gave me focus as to what I was comfortable writing about and WHY I wanted to share things. I intend to check my heart as I go along to make sure I stick to those convictions.
Sorry for the babbling seeing this is my first time here and all!
GREAT POST! Keep it REAL and HAPPY!!
~traci :D
Sing it, sister! The beauty of art is the ability to express yourself and your own individuality! Writing is an art...
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your sunshine...
Ditto Kami!
ReplyDeleteI don't know if what I do would be "bold blogging" or not, I honestly had not heard the term before reading your post. I don't blog for readership or for traffic, I write because I want to. I write about real life, my thoughts, what's on my heart or important to me... bold? I don't know. It depends from whose perspective, I guess!
My posts have become increasingly serious. It's simply where I am in my life right now. I believe that I have a very tenaciously positive outlook on life. To me, positive means making the most of every situation, doesn't mean everything is peachy, but it means choosing joy regardless. I understand that not everyone sees it that way.
I am often told that I take life too seriously... I don't know how I couldn't -- but I realize that we all view life through our own eyes, our own experiences, and that's what makes us unique with unique points of view.
I think I prefer the term "Authentic" blogging. Why fake our way through life?! LOL
Great food for thought, Mama M.