blogging

With the new year I have decided to slightly alter the look and name of my blog. Don't worry it's not anything overly fancy because I am unbelievably technologically challenged. In fact I won't be surprised that once I post this, none of the layout changes will have even taken. When I decided to set out and begin this writing journey I only had the high hopes that my mom might read it. I truly had no idea of the hits, follows, and interest it would receive. The messages of support, encouragement, and just flat out fan mail have astounded me. Granted I make no profit from my ramblings and I would certainly question anyone who would pay for my insight, but I am completely grateful for the gratitude that has been sent my way.
Blogging has been around for years. In the old days I think they called it keeping a diary. As a kid I had  diaries and I can't even tell you the number of times they were confiscated only to be destroyed. I'm sure they were full of highly classified top secret information alongside the heart and star doodles. No, mostly it was pages of how much I missed my mom and wished she was raising me. I'm guessing that's what cued the destruction? And there was probably the occasional crushing on a teacher- and no I won't tell you which ones because too many of you know me and my previous educators in real life.
But blogging is so much more exposing because it is your thoughts, your stories, and sometimes your memories being on display beyond the marginalized lines of paper. This form of written expression is online. There is no cute little lock and key that can be put in place to protect your words. Once the post button is clicked, it's out there for anyone to read. And I mean anyone. I have been fortunate to only receive positive feedback, however I only assume that those who have something um not so positive to say haven't figured out how to do so anonymously. Because let's be honest, my blog is far from perfection.
My English teachers would probably have mini-meltdowns of massive magnitude at my futile and failed attempts of alliteration, and if they saw how grammatically incorrect my sentence structures are they'd tell me to blow it out my colon. There are misspellings (even with auto correct) and there are a plethora of commas because I type like I talk. I would not even call myself a writer. But this art of blogging has somehow along the way allowed my simple and elementary words to resonate with others. I am not on some great mission to save the world with my words. I'm just sort of throwing a stone out there across the water and if the ripple happens to inspire action, invoke emotions, or encourage you to share your own words, then that may indeed be worth my online diary being read.