Tuesday, March 29, 2011

WHY I BLOG

Julie from Bittersweet Diabetes has invited me to blog about blogging! Specifically why I blog. It's a bit of a project really, because she was invited by Christy from My 2 Sweet Babies who was asked by Dawn from Sugar Free CandyLand who in turn was invited to participate by DawnMarie from Words from DUG (hope I got all that right.)

So 5 good reasons? Not sure if they're good but here goes...

1. I blog because I like writing. I blame my mother, who was a journalist in the days before women did that sort of job.

2. I originally blogged as a way to keep in touch with a wide network of scrapbookers around the world. Through my conversations with these scrapbookers many of us discovered other shared interests and blogging became a way to connect with like minded people who shared interests in books (a book club formed), writing, art, baking, cooking, parenting, green household products, gardening. Many of my current blogging friends are people I have never met in real life.

3. Over the years my blog has morphed into a bit of a family diary/snapshot. It gives extended family and friends a wee glimpse into how life is for us. Better than keeping a diary and easier than scrapbooking.

4. When Mr 10 was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes last year I found there was a whole new community out there in cyberspace: bloggers who share the Type 1 journey. Our stories are remarkably similar. It has been an amazing relief to find out that we are not alone. I have received some great advice and information from what my family call my 'pretend friends'. I like to think that maybe I have helped other parents of Type 1 diabetics in some small way.

5. One of my biggest disappointments when Mr 10 was diagnosed with Type 1 (well apart from him having a life threatening condition and having to learn to inject himself and having to do zillions of blood tests and never being able to eat anything ever again in his entire life without considering the blood glucose implications) apart from all that, my biggest disappointment was that there was so much ignorance and judgement about Type 1. The number of people who insinuated that we somehow caused it or that it had something to do with what we fed him or how much exercise he did or didn't do really bothered me. I love being able to use my blog to educate people about Type 1 diabetes. Just a little. (Though I'll bet the people who were the worst offenders never read this!)

The world just seems a bit smaller when I blog.

I don't like tagging people but if you feel inspired to write about why you blog why don't you do it? I'd love to hear your story.

4 comments:

Janine said...

I like reading why you blog and how this has lead to many friendships and how you have been able to connect with other families/communities who are on the same journey as you.

I agree that keeping a blog is easier than keeping a scrapbook lol, I like going back and reading some of my old posts.

Jules said...

That was a great post. I love how your blog in itself was a journey, and it 'morphed' according to where you were at. Social media is funny, your post made me realise our blogs are journals/notes/letters/photoalbums/replacement phonecalls! Thanks for joining in.

Lisa66 said...

I'm really glad you still blog Melissa. I love reading your thoughts on, well, everything. I've fallen off the blogging bandwagon of late but I think I may almost be ready to dive back in!

Just wanted a to make a little comment about your point about people making comments re E's diabetes and how you must be at fault somehow. I can totally understand your frustration. My husband has type 2. contrary to popular belief type 2 is not always caused by lifestyle factors. My husband is the right body weight and is extremely fit (runs 7 -10 kms several times a week, surfs, rides his bike etc.) He has a healthy diet - so much so that the diabetes educators struggled to find anything wrong with it. He had to cut down his alcohol consumption and swap some of the grain products he was eating - no more aborio rice for him. He's medicated because his lifestyle was already fine, so medication was the only route for him. His mother (also slim and fit) has it too and his grandfather had it. Clearly there is a hereditary factor at play here. He gets very tired of ignornant people telling him he needs to lay off the chocolates! (which of course he doesn't eat!)

Christy of My 2 Sweet Babies said...

I love that the invitation to blog about why you blog has gotten around to so many people. We are very similar. I am a scrapbooker and use my blog to educate others about diabetes, but ended up doing a second blog for "everything else". Great to "meet you" even if we never meet in real life.