Personal blogs are SO 2007.

A Valentine's Day card from a special friend of mine.

10:30am Saturday February 18

If I manage to sit here long enough to write an entry and hit "publish", this will be the 3rd entry for February, which is pathetic, OBV, but is triple my January output.

A few weeks ago on Facebook, a friend of mine posted something she had overheard: "Personal blogs are so 2007."  I hadn't really thought about that before, partly because I have no goddamned time for blogging or blog-reading these days, but there definitely are a plethora of niche-blogs out there.

(I said "plethora", but I really wanted to say, "a metric-fucking-ton". I am trying to swear less. Not sure why.)

For example, every first-grade teacher and her brother appear to have a classroom-related blog, where they cheerily discuss anchor charts and 100th Day of School lessons and ideas for how to communicate with parents. They use the word "cute" a lot. I peruse these blogs from time to time. I'm not gonna lie--sometimes I find it hard not to roll my eyes, what with the "cute" clip art themes, and the cheesy bulletin board ideas (First Grade is 'Beary' Exciting! AUGGHH KILL ME NOW).

Then again, I occasionally get good ideas from these blogs. In fact, just 5 minutes ago when I looked at a couple of them to see if I could find something to make fun of, I ended up downloading some pictures to put in my Ideas file. (Which I can almost guarantee I will never use, because once my ideas are in a file, whether it is a paper file or a computer file, they cease to exist because I can't see them. This is one of my organizational issues, which I wish somebody could solve for me. Pinterest, right?)

I guess where I was going with this whole thing about the niche blogs is that I think from time to time about writing a teacher blog, or even an elder-care blog, since that is what my life revolves around these days. The problem with that is:

a) The swearing and general inappropriateness that would no doubt permeate any teacher or eldercare blog I would write. ("OMG Why are my students' parents are so fucking stupid?"  or, "If my mother does [insert crazy thing] one more time imma have to get Mr. Suffocation Pillow out of the closet!") I'd end up getting fired from my job or reported to some state agency or both.

b) I'd have to  commit to writing more so that I could propel myself to Internet stardom and get one of those damn book deals. Sheeeeeit. Publishers were handing those things out like candy for awhile. Have I missed that window? I'm just not sure I can manage my time well enough to generate the number of posts I would need to pull in an audience.

Back to real life. As far as personal blog vs niche blog, I have to say I am a big fan of the personal blog, in general. I'm nosy. I'm interested. I like reading about people's lives and seeing how things change over time. I guess it's not a surprise that my favorite reading genre is the personal memoir.

My blog will no doubt continue as it has for a long time: a mish-mosh of whatever is going on in my life, but hopefully more often than I have posted for the past year or so. I really want to reconnect with my Internet buddies. I miss all y'all muthafuckas.

I mean, I miss you guys.

Off for a walk now, then over to my parents' house to squire them to church UGH and make dinner for them.

Comments

[drhoctor2]

I'm nosy. I'm interested. I'm glad when you post. Personal memoirs are my favorite ..too.

[Margaret]

I love what you write. It's REAL. Thanks for sharing your stories with us.

Hugs, M

[blackbird]

You start a Tumblr and I'll never speak to you again.

[Margaret]

I love the personal blogs too, being the same sort of curious(I prefer the term interested) person. 2007 was a very good time in my life! However blogging from NYC is tricky since I don't know how to get my photos from my camera onto my tablet! :-)

[Gretchen]

I love personal blogs. Keep up with the mish-mash.

[robin andrea]

I was just thinking this morning that we bloggers are an endangered species. We started our blog in late 2004. Bush was still in his first term. How's that for being "so over"...? Still, I love the personal blog. I understand the immediate communicative charm of Facebook, but nothing beats a blog for really good storytelling. I also love the swearing. Give me a good blog that unabashedly uses muthafuckas and I'm a happy reader. Thank you.

[Swistle]

This post points out to me that I read almost entirely personal blogs and almost zero niche blogs. I sometimes read a niche blog for awhile, but then I get tired of the topic and unsubscribe. Whereas a personal blog keeps changing and stays interesting. It's why I'm so disappointed when a personal blog I love TURNS niche (all exercise! all fashion! all cooking! all diet! all heavy socio-political insights!---whatever).

Also, when my parents are decrepit and I'm looking for writing to identify with, I'm going to need it to contain irreverence and swearing or else I'm not going to be happy.

[Barb]

I'm so glad! I love your blog just the way it is.

[Cathy S.]

I love your blog just the way it is as well. It makes me feel good to know someone else is suffering and happy and crazy and sane all at the same time like I am. Parents, kids, work, marriage, keep writing, reverently or irreverntly doesn't matter. Just keep writing.

[Belle]

I love it when you cuss.

"Mr. Suffocation Pillow" made me laugh out loud. Thank you, Mary, for keeping it real. :)

[Laura]

What everyone else said. Speaking of plethora, I cannot walk by a magazine stand without thinking of you. So many wedding magazines! Back in the day (1982) there were maybe three. Someone still has money.

[kris (lower case)]

i love reading personal blogs and i hate when the bloggers decide they can't do them anymore and stop.. i feel like i will never 'know what happens' to all of the people i 'know' in that blog.. i have hardly ever deleted a blog that has gone 'dead'.. i will checkon them daily, then weekly, then once a month or so and finally once every year or so to see if they 'came back' and some have. i have 'found' them on other blogs too and discovered they had started a new blog and i had not been informed! oh the insult! keep blogging when you can.. i'll about always check back to see if you are here or not..

[Heidi]

Check in when it's convenient - we'll be here! It's always a treat to see a post. Intermittent postings are far preferable to the whole I'm Shutting This Baby Down routine. (One of the blogs I read is going through that again. For the fourth time. SO dramatic.)

[Fay (Omar listenin')]

I love it when you cuss, too. :) I'd read your elder-care blog.

[Vicki]

All of the best blogs started right around 2004 and then peaked in 2008-9. We know that- you, me ,Robin, et al. And believe me, you start a niche blog and you won't keep it any more up to date. Just continue on the way you are because it's just fine. We can sustain the relationship thru lo, these many lapses. Besides, this is 3 more for february that I've done.

[the bee]

Never stop cursing or blogging.

[Aged Care Sydney]

I just love how you managed to tell the story in a nice way. It is indeed true that precious memories are the ones that can be cherished forever.