FOR THE LOVE OF WRITING A BLOG

#midlife blog ~ crestingthehill.com.au

This week's #FridayReflection is: How does writing help you? and all I can say is that writing/blogging is a world unto itself. It has helped me re-define who I am and what my season of life is all about. Who'd have thought that a bit over a year ago when I put my first thoughts down on my laptop (instead of the ones I'd been putting into my journal every week for years), that this blogging journey would become a force in its own right? Who'd have thought it would take over part of my heart and not let go?

Blogging has so many dimensions to it that family and friends can't even begin to grasp. When I tell people I write a blog they just look at me strangely (and sometimes a little condescendingly), they have no comprehension of the big, wide world of the blogosphere and how it creates connections and the joy of sharing each other's stories.

Loving blogging means I don't need my non-blogging friends to understand. Blogging is a universe all of its own. It encompasses so many different shapes and forms and yet there is a connection with each other that can't be explained to those who "don't get this whole blogging thing". I never realized what satisfaction there is in putting your thoughts and feelings into words on a page and having a like-minded connection with others all over the world.

I remember writing a piece called "Where I'm From" that was intrinsically about being Australian, yet women in other countries could recount similar memories from their childhood - thousands of miles away from mine. It was so enriching to hear that they had lived a life that mirrored mine but one that also had it's own flavour and nuances. I can't even begin to explain to non-bloggers what it's like to have that connection and to have made friends with people I have never met (and will probably never see face to face) and yet we share a heart for writing. It doesn't matter if we write about different "loves", there is still that innate understanding of each other.

#midlife blog ~ crestingthehill.com.au

So, my story now includes being a blogger - it doesn't have to be understood by my family or my workmates, or my friends - it is my story - one I can write on my own terms. I write so I can share with women all over the world. And as I write, the story grows and develops as I read other people's stories and writings. This is my story and it gets more interesting every day!

I no longer worry what other people think - blogging and writing have helped me define myself and understand who I am.

47 comments

  1. I love your blogging too Leanne! I get the same reaction when I say I'm a blogger I think my family and friends think it is a little hobby of mine. Only bloggers can truly appreciate the wonderful world that opens to you. I've met some beautiful women from al over the world. They add another dimension to my life and I value their friendship. #FridayReflections

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    1. Well said Sue - that sums it up beautifully - we are so blessed from discovering this new world (that was a side bonus really!)

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  2. Yes! Perfectly said Leanne! Only we understand what it means to be bloggers. I know my family don't understand but they are happy to see the glow in my face when I talk about my blogsphere. So I guess that's good enough. When I tell people what I do here "in the boondocks" they don't even know what it is... and that's ok! Because it's just for me!

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    1. I keep saying "I blog" in conversations and people just look right through me! I think they're worried I might try and sell them something :)

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  3. Loved this post Leanne! I could appreciate the full beauty of what you are trying to say. I find the same wholeness with my writing but most importantly the amazing connections I have made.

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    1. I love the connections too and the pleasure that putting together a post gives me every time!

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  4. I've been blogging since 2009 and I have made cyber-blogging friends of some of the most amazing people, including some from India. I loved this post, too; it expresses so much of what I feel when I blog and read the blogs of others. Alana ramblinwitham.blogspot.com

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    1. I love how we all connect - we'll probably never meet face to face Alana but we share the same heart x

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  5. I understand this so well. Blogging has given me a world to retreat too when life has been too much. I am eternally grateful.

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    1. It is so many different things to all of us Suzi but it still surprises me how much it touches our hearts and inspires us to keep going!

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    1. somebody said to me the other day "you're a blogger!" like it was a whole different side of me that surprised them - I love the interaction and the connections with those who understand why we do it x

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  7. Leanne, I love this! I've been writing and journaling since I was a child and took to the blogging world in 2008. Sometimes I enjoy posting on my blog, other times I feel it's ok to allow it to be quiet. The important part is exactly what you said, it's my story and I don't need others to understand or approve of it. You are powerful in your words and I look forward to reading more.

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    1. Hi Caryn - lovely to meet you and I am so impressed that you've been at this blogging "thing" for 8 years! It inspires me because I thought it would be something that lasted for a few months - now I'm thinking it will be a few years or more......

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  8. I love that quote! Blogging has already brought me so much - it feels like it's given me somewhere to voice my own thoughts and opinions, and it has been so therapeutic to write about some of the things I would normally find very difficult to talk about. Thanks so much for linking up to #FridayFrivolity! x

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    1. Hi Jessica - it does give us a voice doesn't it? We don't need to have a discussion, we can just put it out there and let people comment if they feel the urge - it's such a positive and joyful experience (well, it has been so far anyway!) Thanks for the linky too - I love it :)

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  9. I so agree with everything you expressed in this post! So many in my circle "don't get it", but blogging is just something I have to do! It brings me such joy and I love the connections!

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    1. That sums it up for me too Cathy - joy and connections - what more could we ask for? (Somebody paying me to do it would be nice though.....)

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  10. I hear you. I have been blogging for eight years now and I still enjoy sharing my stories and knowledge with other midlife women and reading their stories too.

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    1. Eight years Judi! You are another person I can look up to - I hope I can say "I've been blogging for eight years" one day - it's been so much fun so far and I'd love to still be at it in years to come.

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  11. I so agree! I have used my blogging to reach out to the community of people worldwide with hearing loss and it has been so nice to share experiences with others that can truly understand. Keep blogging!

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    1. Thanks Shari - I am amazed at the outreach and the connections - the camaraderie that happens is impossible to explain to people who don't blog. I love that you've been able to make a difference with your blog.

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  12. Yes! I have stopped trying to explain it to my friends and family. They just don't get it and it's okay. Thank goodness the blog world is full of wonderfully supportive people! Nice post!

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    1. Thanks Karen - I guess if you don't write or whatever it is beyond comprehension. One of my friends asked why I did it when I wasn't a particularly social person. My daughter summed it up by saying "because you can do it in your living room in your pjs!" and that's so true!

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  13. Beautifully put, Leanne. I agree with everything you said - it is so relevant to many of us. xxx

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    1. I think those of us who have caught the blogging bug all "get it" don't we Janine? x

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  14. I still hesitate to mention to friends and family that I have a blog. Actually, I usually don't bring it up at all, and even when someone else mentions it on my behalf, I still don't say much about it. I'm working on that! ;-) And I totally agree with you when you talk about the wonderful network of bloggers worldwide. Love the fact that I have met so many neat people from Australia! :)

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    1. I feel the same way about all the "girls" from the US that I have met along the way. Blogging has opened the world up for me Wendy and it's now bigger than my family and friends - so I don't need to feel miffed that they don't understand - I have a whole bunch of people now who do!

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  15. Beautiful post. It's so true that non-bloggers don't get it. My family occasionally reads my blog, but only if I mention it. But that's okay. It's just an outlet that makes me happy and there's nothing wrong with that. And reading everyone else's journeys and struggles is so inspiring to me. It helps make me a better writer.

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    1. I couldn't agree more Lori - I don't follow all my family and friends' hobbies so I can't really expect them to find what I do all that fascinating either. It's lucky that we have each other to bounce off and inspire :)

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  16. This is why blogging is a family, we get each other. Thanks, loved and shared. :)

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    1. So true Donna - we have each other's backs and we boost each other along the way.

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  17. I think that only bloggers understand the allure of blogging. And while I don't feel I need to explain it to friends, it would be helpful if my husband "got it" a little better :-). Thanks for sharing at the Blogger's Pit Stop!

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    1. I wouldn't mind if my husband "got it" a bit better too Debbie - he reads it sometimes but it's not something he really understands (although the fact that it keeps me quiet is probably a bonus!)

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  18. Oh I forgot to say I nominated you for this:

    http://reflectionsfromaredhead.com/sisterhood-of-the-world-bloggers/

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  19. Well said! I have been blogging for a little over a year, and I share your positive feelings. I have not worried one time about what people think when I publish a new blog. I'm so delighted to find this form of expression and connection with other writers. A Mainer and an Australian can be blogosphere friends. It's grand, isn't it?

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    1. It's wonderful Molly - it has opened up my life soooo much and I'm not sure what I did before I found you all! I think I worked and got through life and that was about it - now I have a spring in my step (and work less!) x

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  20. I miss keeping a journal or diary when I was young. But now we all who blogs can document history.
    Coffee is on

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    1. It will be an interesting project looking back on all of these blogs in years to come Dora - my husband insists he will be using mine instead of a eulogy!

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  21. Yes! Blogging does take on a life and satisfaction of its own...things you would never expect when you hit Publish for the first time. It is also something that NB friends/family get. Oh well. Thank you for sharing this post, Leanne! I love it!

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    1. thanks Regina - it has opened my eyes to so many more elements of life (completely unexpected from when I first started) and also made me a little bit less scared of HTML.....well, most of the time!

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  22. So true! I love blogging, and meeting friends from the world over!
    Friday Frivolity

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    1. I can't believe how many great people I've met through this blog - and many more to come I'm sure!

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  23. Hi Marilyn thanks for sharing and I love how we all "get" this blogging thing :)

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  24. I've been writing since I could hold a crayon. Telling stories and weaving words together to create art is such a cathartic and rewarding practice. I'm so grateful I can do this for a living. But as great as it is, writing is a solitary endeavor, and blogging has changed all that. Getting to know people from all walks of life who share this common passion for words has been so amazing! I thank you for sharing your thoughts, and I encourage you to keep doing what makes sense to you. :)

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  25. What a beautiful tribute to the blogging journey and the friendship and connection we feel with each other.

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Thanks so much for your comment - it's where the connection begins.