Friday, September 18, 2009

To blog or not to blog...that is the question

When I first started this blog, it was to help me keep some kind of journal of life in the Kelley house. I was very faithful in the beginning and posted several times a week. I have posted a few things here and there that we were purely for having the stories down in writing. But mostly it was just things like vacations, birthdays, milestones in Blake's like, ramblings here and there etc.

Over the last couple of years I have started to taper off in my writing. From several times a week to now it's twice a month if I'm lucky. I am starting to wonder if I am doing it justice. There are only a handful of people that read my blog and most of them I either know if real life or have become close enough to that I have them as Facebook friends (facebook: a whole other story) Anywho, where was I? Oh yes, to blog or not to blog. That is the question. I do have to say that this is the longest I have ever kept any kind of journal at all. On the other hand, I really hesitate in writing some of my true feelings because of the people that I know are reading. So am I giving just a glossed over version of my family and life? I think it would be different if I had family that lived far away and read my blog but I don't and the few that I do keep in touch with, are on Facebook now.

So, do I keep the blog and just keep it like it has been? Do I go private so I can blog about some of my innermost thoughts and know that it's really more of a personal journal? I've heard that some people have both a blog like this and then a private blog where they keep their more private thoughts. If I can't keep up with one blog then I surely can't keep up with 2. I wish I were better about keeping a written journal. I truly do want my posterity to have some kind of history. I would love to have journals written by my parents through the years.

I realize that I'm rambling but hey, it's my blog and I can ramble if I want to right? If some of my family reads this in the future, they should know the real me and the real me...rambles.

12 comments:

Kate said...

i understand the dillemma . . . i just went private today for part of that very reason . . . i felt like i was holding back because i didn't want my true thoughts out there for just ANYONE to read . . .
hard choice for sure . . . but if you do choose to keep blogging, i'm definitely choosing to keep reading! :)

Nancy Face said...

I hope you decide to keep your blog! But of course, it's not about me! :)

Yvonne said...

I totally understand what you are feeling.

I do have two blogs (actually more than that) I don't keep the private ones (that no one sees) up, but I just write when I need to vent or am really worried--I can't write those thoughts on my regular blog because I don't want my children to worry.

I vote you keep writing ; )

Melissa said...

I can understand what you're saying. I've thought about going private many times. It would be nice to be able to write whatever I wanted ever now and again :)
Good luck deciding. Maybe if you had a second blog it wouldn't be as hard to keep up with it because you wouldn't feel as restricted?? Just a thought...

Beth said...

I LOVE blogging. As you know mine is private. My mom was surprised at how personal I am in my posts but I reminded her I have only invited select people.
Like you said, I care more about my posterity knowing my real life than what other people may think of me now.
I just printed my blog in a book and will get it this week. I'm so excited. All my posting and photo attaching is going to have real meaning now for my family!!!!
Bloging is very thereputic for me, it's not something I dread but look forward to. With being as busy as you are, if you are going to do it, you need to like it.
I have got to know people so much better through their blogs because how often do we have the time to really find out what people are up to?

Lyon Pride said...

Since I plan on making books with my blog, I sometimes add "posts" to the book (I use blurb) but not on the actual blog. That way it's not two different ones but I can write some of my more personal things. I did make mine private also though because I was starting to feel vulnerable. I hope you keep your blog because I don't do facebook :)

Corrine said...

You have to do what feels best for you. I have an actual hand writing journal that I really need to write in more especially with the way I ahve been feeling lately.

hope all is ok...and what we aren't facebook friends :)

Cynthia said...

I have to say I have gotten to the point where I'm going to write what ever it is I love, hate, kinda love, kinda hate! I don't want my personal family journal to look like Mom has never been sick, never had a bad day! YIKES! they would look at that and know that was a year of lies! LOL!

I love your blog and hope you continue with it and get as real as you are! It's all about you and your's!

kate n. said...

Tonya, it looks like we all vote for you to keep blogging! So I guess you're stuck! :)
I have kept a personal journal (fist handwriting it, now just a file on my computer) which is more detailed rambling/venting. I need to do some serious editing before posterity can read it. Or maybe when I'm old I won't care if they know the real me.
But really, if your choice is a glossed-over-watered-down version or nothing, keep blogging!

Carrie said...

Tonya, keep blogging! I love hearing what you guys are up to. And even if it's just vacations, I'm sure Blake will love looking through it a few years from now and it will help him remember all the fun things you guys did when he was young.

Carrie said...

Okay, I've been wondering about that whole "some things are private feelings and others are not, but I want them all on the same blog" stuff, too. I just looked it up on the help page of Blogspot, and they said to write your private posts and save them as drafts, that way they'll be just for you, but they'll be in the correct order in your post list, and you can just add them in if you choose to make your blog into a book for posterity.

Kimberly Vanderhorst said...

Selfishly I want you to keep blogging in one way or another because I love knowing even just a bit of what's going on with you. Love you and you family and love feeling connected!

Seriously though, it's about you and what you get out of it and it the results are worth your time. That's what really matters.