Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Lost in a Sea of Bloggers


I love my blog. I am proud of my blog. And I thought I had a little something special here. Some little piece of the world that was mine. I kind of floated along like that for almost a year. I didn't promote my blog. It was just there. Occasionally I would post a link for my family & friends on Facebook so they knew what was going on with my pregnancy. But I didn't spend too much time turning my blog into anything other than an oline journal that a few people could read. I form of catharsis during a really crazy time in my life.

Then I dove in.

I started networking and meeting other bloggers. I added blogs to my reading list (yes it took almost a year!) and even listed my blog on sites like Top Mommy Blogs, Picket Fence Blogs, and Bloggy Moms. It's through sites like these that I found a vast array of bloggers. Amazing writers who had been at this for a long time and really knew what they were doing. These writers chronicle all of the things that they are passionate about. Be that crafting, cooking, motherhood, child loss, illness, etc.

I changed my blog design to be more user friendly and added things like buttons, advertising, and a list of my top blogs. I created an identity for my blog and mirrored it on my Twitter site (where I meet so many amazing bloggers!). Slowly my readership increased. I like knowing that there are people out there- complete strangers- who identify with what I have to say. I like reading other blogs and knowing I'm not alone in my feelings about this that or the other. The blog world has been an amazing place for me and I'm proud of my contribution.

But on the same note, it is a BIG world. And where I once felt unique, I now feel like I sometimes get lost in a sea of other bloggers. There are so many amazing writers out there and I am trying to keep on top of reading all of these amazing stories but most days there are just too many! The funny part is that before I started my blog I had never read a single blog in my life (ironic right?) and now I have too many favorites to keep up with!

The blog world is a special place that mommies need. I wish I had started years ago. But I'm here now. I swim in a sea of endless blog moms who finally have a voice in their own lives. We have the right to bitch when we need to. We have a platform to boast when we want to. And we have a place to reach out to other moms, the likes of whom we may have never met otherwise, and let them know they aren't alone.

So I am still proud of my blog. I am proud of what I write. I guess I just realize that I'm not as special as I thought I was. But it's not a bad thing. It's comforting. These blog moms are my people. Maybe I'm not lost is a sea of bloggers. Maybe I swim with them.

8 comments:

  1. Wow, I can totally relate to this. Nicely said! :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. I've only been blogging of a little over a month and I already feel just the way you do. I have a little bit of an identity crisis with my blog because I'm an empty nest Mommy so I don't really write about the everyday life of the babies and I don't live close enough to my grandgirls to write consistently about them either. Hang in there, I really enjoy your writing and perspective and hey...you're special just like the rest of us! lol

    ReplyDelete
  3. You could have been describing me! :) Thanks for validating ... and encouraging all at once! :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. You are special, there's no blog just like yours. Own it. :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. I agree with the others.. You are unique. Each one of us is unique... and I am just starting out... and totally get what you are saying. I too feel the same way. :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Blogs are like people, there may be millions of them to certain people they ar 1 in a million.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Amen! I too was moving along and thinking I was doing pretty good.. then I saw some pretty amazing blogs.. (LIKE YOURS!!) but no one has our stories, our views and our love for what is going on in our lives!! LOVE YOUR BLOG and look forward to following when I can.. Please check out mine would love to have you follow it as well..
    http://therealhousewifeofoxfordcounty.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  8. You took the words right out of my mouth. Although I disagree w/the special part. You ARE special, never stop believing that.
    I'm glad I came across your blog on bloggy moms, hope you can swing by my pride & joy www.oneblondesramblings.com =)

    ReplyDelete