Blog-a-versary

Today is my Blog-a-versary. What’s that, you say? One year ago today, I opened this account with blogger and wrote my very first blog. I had literally NO idea what a blog really was at that time . . . and, until then, I thought they were kinda boring. Who would want to read about someone else’s life? I thought I’d use mine to update our family in the Midwest about what was going on here in Georgia. I thought I’d post pictures and give updates about our day-to-day activities. Nothing personal – because who would care, anyway?

Over the past year, I think it’s safe to say that not only have I changed my opinion on blogs, but I have changed the format of my very own blog. It turns out that there are at least 3 or 4 people out there who do care about what’s really going on in my life. And, it turns out, it IS fun to read about other people's lives.

According to Wikipedia, this is the description of a blog:

“Many blogs provide commentary or news on a particular subject; others function as more personal online diaries. A typical blog combines text, images, and links to other blogs, web pages, and other media related to its topic. The ability for readers to leave comments in an interactive format is an important part of many blogs.” (http://www.wikipedia.com/)

My blog was once just a commentary on the Dahlby household, but I believe it has evolved into my very own online diary. As I began to read the blogs of other friends, family, and strangers (yes, I’m a voyeur and love to read the blogs of strangers!), I began to see how interesting and personal a blog can truly be. In September, I made a decision to go ‘more personal’ in this space . . . and to commit to writing more and more. I’ve ENJOYED it so much more since I made that decision, and I hope you have too. I’ve strayed away from the day-in-day-out of Meg-raising that goes on around here and tried to talk about other things . . . feelings, movies, desires, etc. I wanted to make it interesting. I hope I have succeeded.

I wish, sometimes, I had the courage to be 100% truthful and honest and open in this webspace I have created, but the fact that I have little anonymity here makes that kind of brutal honesty tough. I choose to be ME on this blog, so those who read it KNOW who I am (and, for the most part, I know them too) . . . I can’t tell everything because, well, there would just be too many repercussions. Sometimes, I’ll get a comment from someone that I didn’t KNOW was reading the blog and think, “Yikes – he/she is reading . . . I’d better make sure I watch what I say about such-and-such . . .” Even still – self-monitoring and all -- I do address topics on this blog that I’m relatively uncomfortable talking about face to face with someone. It has become an outlet for things like that. I enjoy have a place to write down these thoughts and feelings . . . and if something is left unsaid, I'm sure I'll remember it when I read it later.

Sometimes, I do feel like people know a LOT about me. Blog topics that I’ve written about come up in conversation with friends, and I smile at the thought of them sitting down and reading my heart-felt entries. It is nice to know that people care enough to check in and see what is going on with me each day (or every few days, whatever). But it is funny to think that these people have read about my pity-party-miscarriage, my whining about wanting new jeans, and my rants about eye-brow waxes. Oh well -- if you are reading, you must find something amusing about that! And, now that I’ve started reading a lot of blogs out there, I feel like I know a LOT about my friends, family, and strangers. In an email and voicemail filled world, blogs are just one more somewhat impersonal way to get to know someone . . . which is strange, but I don’t mind it a bit.

I hope you have enjoyed ‘the dahlbys: family life in suburban georgia’ as you’ve read it over the past few months. I think I’ll keep it going for a while to come. Thanks for tuning in . . . and please do leave a comment today to let me know you are there and that you are reading . . . it’s always fun to see who checks us out.

Happy Blog-a-versary to me.

By the way – ever stop to think of exactly where the word ‘blog’ comes from? It’s a portmanteau of web log – the combination of those two words.

This picture was taken exactly one year ago today -- Jan 18, 2007. You'll notice that it is Meg and Lexi . . . of whom I posted pictures from our play date yesterday. These girls LOVE each other . . . look how much they've grown in the past year!! This picture reminds me of that day . . . and that Jim and I started talking about moving to a new house later that same evening. See -- the blog is a great memory-keeper!!