TIME FOR A CHANGE
When I began this blog (back in September 2014) I was a complete blogging novice. I never expected people to find me online and I was hugely concerned that I might be trolled or have negative comments. So.....I turned the comments off for the first six months of blogging.
Over that time I connected with some lovely Midlife bloggers and they told me they wanted to leave a comment and couldn't. So.....I turned them on, and they've been on ever since.
But......
After six or so years and 27,000+ comments, I've reached the point where I'm ready for a change. It might not be a forever change, but it's a change for right now (and then we'll see how it goes).
TURNING OFF THE COMMENTS AGAIN
Over the last few months I've been feeling a little out of sorts. I'm aware that it might be due to the imminent approach of my 60th birthday - because, for some weird reason, I always have major issues with transitioning decades. But it might also be due to the fact that I'm online far too much. Blogging draws you in, there's always your own blog to write, other blogs to read, comments to make, and comments to respond to. I feel like I'm always checking something and then getting caught up with it all for hours every day.
I've mulled it over and I know other bloggers would never turn off their comments - we all know it's where the interaction and engagement happens, but for me it's become a bit of a trap and it's time I changed pace for a while. So.....I'm turning the comments off again.
THE BEGINNING OF SOMETHING NEW
I feel like this isn't the end of an era, rather it's the beginning of something new and more manageable. I'll still be reading all the Midlife bloggers who I've met over the years, but will definitely be pulling back a little on my commenting - to keep myself offline more and to give myself time to pursue new interests that engage different parts of my brain.
So, from today onwards I'd love you to still visit me and to read what I share from my head and my heart every Monday (BTW - you can subscribe in the box on my sidebar if you want to make sure you don't miss any of my posts). You can also pop across to my Cresting the Hill Facebook page any time, and use the comments section there - that would be a fantastic way to stay in touch and I'd love to have more interaction over there.
KEEPING THE CONNECTIONS
The biggest concern for me with making the change was that I'd miss the connections and the conversations that the comments section offers. So.....what I've also done is set up an email account where everyone is more than welcome to chat with me. It allows for the opportunity to have more meaningful conversations and to chat back and forward less publicly.
So, if you ever want to contact me to have a conversation you can email me here:
I'm hoping that you'll stay in touch and chat when you feel like you have something to share, or if a post I write resonates with you.
The quote I shared in the image further up is a great reminder to me that I need to make sure I'm not measuring my worth with the wrong yardsticks. I hope that you'll still keep visiting me, and that you'll be back each week to read what I have to share as I head towards 60 and continue to evaluate what that means in my life. Stay tuned - because I'll still be here... but with the volume dialled down a little for now.
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