Saturday, April 28, 2012

Stepping back and a Give-away

I will be hosting a give-away (this one is pretty neat) so be sure to come check on May 1 to see how to enter.

After that, I think I'm probably going to take a step back and re-evaluate things going on. I don't imagine that it will take me to long to decide the direction I want to take and I really hope you stick around while I make this decision. I know a lot of us, me included, started blogging as a way to either vent about situations we could not control, or to have a creative outlet, or a little of both.

Then, I discovered "following" and "followers" and I was hooked. I've made so many great friends here and I have a ton of support that I never thought I'd ever have. You all have touched my life and given me a new outlook in many areas many times over. You've become my extended family in a way and I value your thoughts, friendship, and opinions.

Problem is, I began to value the opinions of others instead of staying true to what I wanted (and sometimes needed) to post. I began to watch what I said, or how I said it, so I wouldn't upset people or give the wrong impression. As a professional communicator, I would get upset with myself if someone didn't understand what I meant or took it the wrong way. I wondered how I could have said it differently so that it would have been clearer.

Then, I decided screw this, and went back to writing what I felt I needed to write. I may have cost myself a follower or two but that is the risk I was willing to take. There are bloggers out there that I follow - and who still show as following me - that must be also taking a break because I never see updates from them. I miss seeing posts from them and hearing from them. But, they must have decided that IRL has to take precedence over blogosphere.

I don't want to leave my blogging friends because I do value your friendship and opinions. Sometimes, you give me a new perspective on something that I couldn't see. Having an outsider, or a second set of eyes, offer a different point of view is often very refreshing. We don't always have to agree on things but having the freedom to express an opinion and know that both parties are adult enough to understand that a difference of opinion does not mean that you no longer need, or want, that person in your life.

My life is also much busier now. Hard to believe since I'm driving half the distance but there are so many other things that I need to also do. Ron is not well and I know that people are tired of hearing about his health issues. So, I will be probably changing that up a bit so it's not "all" about him and his issues. We shall see. LOL - my life may be too boring to write about if I don't write about Ron. Not that I intended to splash his troubles all over the blog world or anything, but that's sort of how it ended up. There are many things I can't talk to my family about so I came here. There are things that I couldn't bring myself to discuss with Ron because of how it affects him, so I came here. There are fears, dreams, and thoughts that I could not bear to verbalize to anyone, so I brought them here.

So, I'll do the give-away here (and will be posted on my other blogs as well) and then probably take a week or so to try and figure things out. Like I said, I hope that you all will stick around to see the outcome.

Have a great week!

11 comments:

joanne said...

I'll be here as long as you are. I may not comment often but I do check in with you...I am the Ron in our family and to see how his illness affects you has been so helpful to me. I get a new perspective and I get new ideas on how to speak for myself in a better way. So thank you Teresa, I hope you will come back but I understand if it's just too much. You take care of you now, it's time.

JeannetteLS said...

I echo Joanne's comment, Teresa, but I would like to add that I rarely, if ever find stories of "real life" boring, no matter how seemingly "Small" the story.

And if you decide to keep blogging whenever you have a mind to, so much the better. The updates will show on my dashboard, and there you will be.

I know illness affects other family members, who NEED a place to vent. Been on both sides of that, and it's apples and oranges there.

So, for what it's worth, I'll be here, looking forward to read what's next for you, and hoping your life's next chapter includes a whole lot more rest and wonderful things for you.

Jo-Anne's Ramblings said...

I think you need and should write about whatever you want to whenever you want to.......and I will read whatever you write and when it comes to you writting about Ron I think you should continue to do so he is a big part of your life and those of us who follow you are interested in how is doing.

Lois said...

Real life is not boring. Follow your instincts, and take a break if you need to. It's all good. I will be around for what-ever.

Southhamsdarling said...

Hi Teresa. We all quite understand about you taking a break from blogging for a while, but you must know by now that we're not going anywhere!! We'll still be here when you're ready to come back, and I agree with the others - real life is never boring, and I certainly don't mind hearing about Ron. it is such a big part of your life, his illness, and you can't just pretend it's not there. If it helps to talk to us about it, or any other situation, then we are here for you my friend. I so agree with you that my bloggy friends have very much become an extended family to me, and families are here to love,support and encourage each other - right?! You are both in my prayers and it's good that I can also keep in touch with you on facebook. Take care. Hugs.

not displayed said...

If you need to talk about Ron, then do it. If you need to take a break, we will be waiting until you get back.
I certainly understand how you can fall into the habit of only blogging what you think others want to read instead of being true to yourself.
I also know too well how other bloggers can affect your blogging experience if you let them.
Sending you hugs and hoping to see you back on my list soon

Pat said...

Take your much needed break. You have had a helluva lot going on. Decide what you want to do with the blog. It's what YOU WANT, don't let others dictate to you. If you want to use it to vent, then so be it. If you lose a couple of followers, then so be it. It's not about who has the most followers, anyway. Sure, it's nice to have followers, but it's the quality of them, right? Blogging is a commitment, and once you step away for even a little bit, you'll see how much you were consumed by it. It's hard to get back into it. But if you find you are missing it, you'll go back. And we'll be here waiting to hear what's been happening while you were gone!

BB said...

Speaking of stepping back, I guess you could say I have done just that. With the moving in, trips back up to Myrtle Beach and enjoying my new area, I've been AWOL. I'm sorry if I wasn't here for you or missed anything serious. I can so appreciate what you've written here, but you should never not write about what you want to write about. It's what we love about you. Including hearing about Ron. We feel like we know Ron through your blog. By all means, step away and re-evaluate things. But know that even if you stop blogging, you won't lose me as a friend! You can contact me anytime. Hope you're doing well yourself! Big hugs. Let me know if I can help at all. I'm never to busy for friends.

colenic said...

Well, I will second the sentiments here already...I am here..for good bad and everything in between. sometimes...you need to just take a minute to take a deep breath...
Hugs to you and positive thoughts...
sending you lots of love while you are away..

Kathy's Klothesline said...

I understand your frustration in feeling that you need to edit your thoughts before they hit the keyboard. I have that same frustration with my blog. I had one of the local deputies tell me that the sheriff reads my blog regularly just to try to find something he can arrest me for! He seems to think I am defiling the reputation of those I write about! I write mostly about the oddities of people and never give their names and most of the really good stuff is about my husband and he has no problem with it....
You do what makes you happy and fills your needs, like you said it is your blog! I admire your tenacity and dedication to your family and I will continue to look for you!

Anonymous said...

Boring? Your life? Hardly.
And frankly, I WILL stay tuned because I really care about you and your husband. The decisions you're forced to make are pretty incredible and you face them with a lot of strength--admirable.