Monday, June 01, 2009

Why I blog


Thanks Findon for this award. It is good because it has made me think. Why do I blog? I have asked myself this question on almost a daily basis for about a year now. Or maybe longer.

I started this blog as a way to have a conversation with another blogger who was driving me crazy on my other blog - and I realized he was an AA member. I didn't want to violate the 11th tradition on my other blog - it had my full name and a photo of me. So I started this blog. I called it "Anonymous Alcoholic," which it remained until a year or so ago when someone else came along and called himself that. He wasn't going to yield the name - so I did. And poof! then, like most bloggers, he was gone.

The beginning of my blogging career was wonderful. I was in love with these folks who came by every day and visited and commented. We were like a herd, moving from blog to blog. There was basically one group of recovery bloggers. We all read each other. We all "knew" each other. There weren't all these people coming and going all the time. We all actually READ each other's blogs. And we had "half nAAked thursday" each week, where we posted a photo. It was intended to be a photo of a body part, photographed in some creative way. Oh, they were creative. They were wonderful. How I looked forward to this each week. But then, that too, got taken over by people "we" didn't even know... posting pictures of their dogs. oh joy.... read the sarcasm here. Eventually, we stopped posting, and now those blogs don't even exist anymore.

So, why do I still blog?

Because maybe once a week I get an e-mail from someone who has been reading my blog. Maybe she can't figure out how to get to her first meeting. Maybe he can't figure out how to ask someone to be his sponsor. Maybe she can't figure out how to tell her sponsor she "accidentally" had a "slip." Or sometimes it is someone thanking me for writing every day because they somehow happened upon my blog before they ever got to their first meeting. And somehow they found my blog helpful (how my writing about my running, baking pies, migraine headaches, and other stupid things is helpful I don't really know, but it seems to be to some folks), and got the idea that AA might work for them. And Willa. She doesn't have a blog, but she has been coming by for over 3 years. Over three years ago, she would come by and leave a comment telling me how many days sober she had. And then she celebrated a year of sobriety. A few months ago, she celebrated 3 years. And she still comes by. And that makes my heart happy. Then there is Wendy. She and I "know" each other from another blogging venue, but she is sober now a couple of years and it is wonderful to read her comments... and her blog... when she blogs... which is not often anymore.

And then there are the wonderful blogging people I have met. The amazing thing to me is that when we meet, there is no shock. There are no surprises. These are the people I read every day. I have a pretty good idea of who they are, because they actually share that here. They aren't writing pretty crap every day. They are writing real stuff. We are not member of a mutual admiration society... we don't just come by every day and leave comments saying "beautiful," "profound," "oh, this is just what I needed to hear today," etc... we actually READ what they write and comment on that. Sometimes we actually say things that are meaningful.

When I started blogging, it was so much fun because none of you knew me. Then my blog got found by people I actually know. And family. And now I have to edit every word. I have to think about who I might hurt if they read it. It was a heck of a lot more fun when it was read only by strangers and there was no danger of hurting anyone. I used to write about things that no one knew about. Now I guess everyone does if they have read my old archived stuff. Dammit!!!

So, these are the reasons I blog. I think I have also basically told you the reasons why I don't like it so much too. But I think in the end, I love it more than I don't.

And, since I want an ode written to me, I would like to bestow this award on Pammie. I would love to hear Pammie tell us why she blogs.

14 comments:

Scott W said...

I already knew why you blog. That's because I know you, and I wouldn't know you if we hadn't met in cyber space. Makes me grateful.

Pammie said...

Those are all good reasons!
Tomorrow I will write why I blog, but sweet sweet Mary....how can write you an ode without an actual "award picture"?
where the heck is that???
I'm all about those little pictures ya know.
OK...fine...I can still write you an ode for thinking of me...hee hee

Syd said...

MC, I'm glad that you are still here. And I know that I've told you that before. You have a lot to share. And you give it straight up without any sugar coating. I like that. Thanks for continuing to carry the message.

Mary Christine said...

OK Pam. I added a picture.

Dr24Hours said...

A very interesting and thoughtful piece. Blogging is a new form of communication. A new way to reach out, and it has good and bad things about it as such, just like any other form of communication. I think the recovering community has found a good way to use it for the benefit of all of us, and hopefully for the benefit of the alcoholic still suffering who finds this and finds hope along with it.

Gin said...

I love your reasons for your blog. I agree 100% that it is so nice to read "real" blogs. There is no hiding and no dishonesty. Nobody is trying to make it seem easy to get through this no matter what side of the coin we are on - the alcoholic or the family of the alcoholic. Blogging has definately helped me with my side of things.

Ed G. said...

I appreciate you and your blog.
I hope you continue to blog because it allows me to learn from you by seeing an example lived by someone who has done this mindfully, deliberately, unselfishly, willingly.
And, you're humble at it.
In the perfection of God's order, I hope you continue exactly as long as you're of his purposes here - and not one day longer.
I believe you will...
Blessings and aloha...

Unknown said...

When I read that you run, even in poor weather, it helps me to keep on going. When I read your "rants", it helps me to know it's okay to not like things sometimes, and to say so. When I read about your recovery, it helps me to have patience with my own mother, who has 10 years and still drives me crazy sometimes. Thanks, MC.

Namaste

steveroni said...

I apologize for blogging on "Why I Blog" as my topic...I had forgotten this was an "awarded" topic...I was not trying to infringe or impinge on this thing.

Also, I'll not spend too much time in the "Amends" department. After all, Amends are about
change" MUCH more than "Forgive me" etc.......
Steve E

Findon said...

Mary, I think you described an everyday journey in sobriety. I couldn't have put it better myself. Thank you for posting. Take care.

Mike Golch said...

great posting.

wendy said...

i'm grateful that you still blog...

Brad said...

Thank you for your continued blogging. I recently started up again, since blogging is how I got sober in the first place! Thank God the big book talks about us in the foreword to the 4th edition. I think it's true that whether face to face or modem to modem (an already outdated term!) we AAs truly do speak the language of the heart!

Brad :-)
(thisunmanageablelife)

aa girl 5862 said...

I'm just glad you blog. Simple as that. Reading about you and your trials and tribulations helps keep me sober.