Going down the rabbit hole

From Mage's Postcard blog I visited many, many blogs this morning, in different states, countries ... all connecting with the world? With other bloggers? Many have been blogging for 10 years, many since 2004! So it begs the question "what do we get out of blogging our thoughts, experiences, photos, stories?" 

From her list of blogs, then from other's list of favorite blogs, it was a whirlwind of blogs, interesting stories and daily experiences. 

Most of the blogs I visited were over 60, mostly liberal, interested in worldly demise and politics. Engaged. Concerned.

I am always looking for good story ideas for my husband's paper. He is the art director, designer, coordinator and all around gopher of Pacific NW Magazine. I was thinking, this would be a good story. Why do people blog, especially over 60. 

Asking myself the same question "why do I blog"? It is a variety of answers. 

I have so many interesting things I find that I want to "put" someplace to store and save. I have stories going around in my head that I want to document and events happening, like deaths, births, kids that I want to remember. This has been my diary since 2004, since I don't keep a hand-written, book-bound one. (Although I have tried). And yes, I now realize, turning 60-something, losing my job and retiring add a whole new dimension to my journey. Am I documenting it for me to come to terms with all the changes? Then it seems, Covid renewed many blogs. A way to reach out to the world? To document a pandemic while bunkered in your home?

I just know that this blog has been my best friend for many years. A place where I get stuff off my chest. Cry, laugh, scream, rage, ramble. I use to share mom's recipes, her Goodwill outfits. It was a place to put all of those flower photographs I loved so much. I participated in Illustration Friday and Self-portrait Tuesday for years. Also to post some of my illustrations and printed projects I was proud of. Photo collages  Noted collections, and dishes I found at the Goodwill and tables I set. The soooo very many ideas I have that I think my head will explode sometimes, this blog was my release valve. Sometimes I reveal the ugly truth. I tried not to rant about politics, but then trump happened. (To be honest, I did not care too much about politics until trump surfaced).

It was also a place where I learned about technology in 2004 until now. Discovered Flickr, learned how to work some coding while modifying my blog so I did not feel like an old fuddy-duddy in a industry filled with young people. It kept me learning, experimenting, expanded my knowledge. I have so many good friends from this blog that I would have never had the opportunity to meet, that makes me feel very fortunate. Also, I just remembered another point ... to learn to write and to put it out in the public. I do not write and never felt confident about my writing. This was a place to experiment and then I got really brave (or stupid) and wrote a couple of pieces for Edmonds Patch. Mother's Day Garden Gift, I Live in Hydrangea Heaven, A Winter's Garden, Garden Guilt - Learning to embrace the imperfections of my garden, Moss is Boss (my husband would always check my work before I posted). Hmmm, I can't find my favorite post about my old neighbor, Harry, and all he taught me about gardening.

My family never reads my blog. They know I blog. I don't know if I want them to read it or not?

Anyway. Why do you blog? Where do you blog? What have you learned about yourself, about others, about life through blogging? Maybe we could all do a blog post on the subject? I could reach out to all of those blogs I visited today and ask the same question. We could have a specific date to post WHY I BLOG. Anyway, I am just thinking out loud.

I think it would make a great story. Trying to think of what the headline would be. ;)