Start a Blog

My friend Deena encouraged me to start a blog in the summer of 2009.  She told me I was funny and had things to say.  In November 2009, Just Jordan had it's inaugural entry.  When I first started, I always joked with Hugh that my goal was to "reach the masses"!  (The masses turned out to be my mom, my sister, and Deena!)  The more I wrote, the more my thoughts went to my Grandma Fritshaw*.  She keeps a journal and writes in it everyday.  Her journals have resolved more family disputes than I can even count  (important ones too--like who won the card tournament at Christmas or the winning team at her annual Thanksgiving scavenger hunt).  I began to think of my blog as my journal.  I couldn't help but think what a gift my writing would be to Calder one day.  If he ever wonders what our life was like when he was a year old, he will only have to head online to my blog to see what we were up to.  I also know I won't remember all the cute and funny things he does, so if I write some of them down, they will always be there to remind me.  Now, of course, my journal has turned  into therapy for me.

Before Christmas, a number of Hugh's staff members started reading Just Jordan.  It was so fun to talk to them about what was going on in our lives, not to mention the fact that his staff would give Hugh grief about things I blogged about (seriously, Hugh, you didn't think to look in your sock drawer for your wedding ring--the top drawer in the nightstand it went missing from?  It was MIA for a year!  He deserves all the grief he gets about that one--Check it out HERE.)  That was the first time I connected with people I didn't know who were following my blog.  One of Hugh's co-workers told me, "I feel like I know you."  It was so neat to have that connection.

A good friend, Desiree,  recently commented to me how she felt like she knows Deena.  Since Des started following my blog every day, she has also started reading some of the blogs I follow.  And in the same way, I have had contact from many of Deena's friends who have been reading my blog.  It makes my world feel small--and warm and friendly.

The last few weeks, I have encouraged a number of people to start blogs, including my sister, Desiree, and a good friend Adrienne.  All of who are funny, smart, and have great things to say.  Jes already took me up on it and you can check out her adventures, HERE.

If you are reading my blog, you must enjoy it. . . It is the same way, I enjoy reading other blogs. . . I love the connection to someone else's life.

You don't have to write everyday.  At the start, I tried to blog once a week and there are a few months that I got too busy to write, but I always came back to it.  I fell in love with writing.  Who would have thought?  I am a math geek.  If you asked me what my least favorite high school subject was, I won't have to think about it.  It was English.  I loved reading, but definitely not writing!  Who would have thought?  I love writing!

So if you are one of the people I have been hammering to start a blog--do it.  And if I haven't been on your case yet, start writing, before I get on it!

The pictures you see are of my blog book.  It takes about 10 minutes to turn your blog into a book and mine from 2010 cost about $40.  Totally worth it!

*My Grandma Elgie also keeps a journal.  We have just never needed it to resolve disputes!