My Goal for 2013: To Keep Blogging, Like It's 2003
Entering my 10th year of blogging (seriously, it was hard enough for me to admit/accept my kids entering their double-digits) I often times compare maintaining a blog to that of nurturing a child: just imagine if parenting came with spell-check and a delete button, eh?
Some years are more difficult than others, then there are those times when the suckage runs real deep and all you would need to do is check back in a blogger's archives to realize that one of three things happen:
- Blogging increases.
- Posting decreases.
- Blog shuts down, completely.
Most especially, around this time of year, when folks begin to re-evaluate the time and effort it takes to nurture a blog, as well.
Aaaaaand, then there's the added consideration of maintaining an online presence (MOP, for short), while under the influence of suckage.
As 2012 comes to a close, 63 days post-Sandy and 10 days after the Mayans quit counting (can you blame them?) I find myself in the totally opposite situation: clinging to my archives, like a teething child looking for something to bite into (HARD!) and stomping my feet while declaring (in a totally whine-y voice):
"But, I don't waaaaaaaant to stop blogging AND you can't make me...DAMMIT!"
Especially, whenever some whippuh-snap-puh-marketing-type insists that my blog and I just don't meet the demographic...or have the following...not to mention, the traffic...necessary to be deemed successful...in the blogging terms.
To this I say: BITE ME!!!
Yes, I have teenagers. No, I still do not know how THAT happened (their growing up so damned quickly, I mean) and yes, my kids NOW read my blog.
In fact, some of them even tell their friends (and teachers...GULP!) about it.
My youngest (she's 11) grabbed a bunch of my business cards and took it upon herself to hand it out on the first day of school, telling folks:
"You have GOT to read my mom's blog!"
How do I know? She told me, of course. My first reaction, being: ACK!!! Her language arts teacher?!? Yep. Probably thinks I'm an idiot, too.
My second reaction: the kid seemed genuinely proud of me and, well, THAT RIGHT THERE, my friends...IS the golden ring of blogging...not to mention...a gosh-darned rarity in the parenting world, too.
Then my sweet baby girl mentioned something about sharing in the profit margins (if any) and, well, the way I figure it, why not? She'll probably be running her own business (hopefully, mostly legit) by the time she's 18, right?
Moral of the Story: I used to call her my little ticket into heaven. Now? She's mommy's little retirement plan.
Until then, I resolve to keep blogging like it's 2003. Or, until we hit the lottery. Because, we'd probably move into a BIGGER house and...well...what WOULD I blog about then?!?
[sound of crickets, chirping]
Happy New Year and keep blogging (if anything else, just to prove those previously mentioned whippuh-snap-puhs wrong) DAMMIT!!!
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