What my Blog means to me
It’s all about community
It’s a bad MS day today – aches and pains, tired and depressed blah blah! I can’t tell if it’s stress at the current situation we’re all in or just a normal day in the life of an MSer. It is all very depressing. I miss my family, my friends and even the noise outside. It’s not normal. I feel incredibly selfish writing this, there are so many people in a much worse situation than me. But I am so so tired.
I hate having to write what I’ve just written because it’s not like me. But are any of us really like ourselves just now? It’s what this ghastly C-19 is doing to us. So I have to snap out of it, ha! British stiff upper lip and all that. So here goes.
I recently had a comment from a fellow blogger saying he’d only read one post of mine and had liked it so much that he immediately followed me. His actual words were ‘sign of a good blogger’.
I had to read this several times. My first reaction was incredulity! I’ve only been blogging since last September and this surprised me so much. But deep down I was secretly delighted.
I think of how many blogs I’ve followed over seven months and how varied they are. I’ve read so many interesting, loony, helpful and inspirational pieces, and I enjoy feeling part of a community. It’s made me reflect on the reasons why I blog.
When I first had the idea to blog, it was due mainly to the fact that, because of my disability, I spend a lot of time in the house. Back in September when I posted for the first time, I was in a manual chair, which meant that every time I wanted to move anywhere, even in one room, to change the view, somebody had to do it.
So, I was always having to ask, which was not ideal and made me feel dependent, which goes against every fibre of my being, and something I’ve learned hard lessons to accept.
I spent nearly all my days playing computer games on my iPad. So, so boring. I found I was waiting and hoping for someone to drop by to relieve my boredom.
One day I woke up and thought not again. I’d always wanted to blog. I even had a blog already that I hadn’t been near in years, and I wasn’t very good at keeping up with it.
So I jumped into WordPress, and set up a new blog. It took me days, if not weeks, to get to the point where I could publish my first post.
But when I did wow! What a sense of achievement. I thought I would never experience that again but there it was – that feeling of accomplishment. For me this was a major turning point in my life.
Finally, I had a purpose again, and I was determined not to ever let that go. I was doing something with my limited life.
Then I got my power chair and I could move around by myself. What a revelation. This meant I could move from room to room taking my stuff with me, I could write anywhere.
Now here I am 7 months on, and I’ve stuck at at it.
So, there’s the reason why I blog.
It goes back to what I said earlier about being dependent. My writing gives me something which is mine, and which I can choose to share with others if I want to. And the people I share it with are like me (not dependent!) in as much as they are writers who want to share their writing and be part of a community.
When I look at my stats (not often) I notice that I have views from all over the world. That humbles me, but also makes me proud that someone from another country is interested enough to look, and in some cases follow, my blog!
I think this community is all the more important in these strange times. For many isolation is really hard. Hopefully we can all support each other through it.
Tell me what blogging means to you, only if you want to though.
Be kind to one another.
21 Comments
Matt Paulo
Great lesson behind the story. I think people who feel lost should re-purpose too.
Belles Days
I agree particularly during the strange time
alltheusernameareout
What blogging means to me is community. I write blog post because I love to write but also because I know that there is a community waiting for me. That’s why I love being a blogger. Thanks for inspiring me like always Belles.
Love and light<3
alltheusernameareout
Your blog posts always inspired me soo much. Thanks, Belle! I’m not wrong when I say to people that you are my favorite blogger!
Belles Days
Wow thank you that means so much
Fab Foodie Swede
I really like reading your posts. And I think that we all feel a bit helpless and terrified now. And for you to share about MS, that is an important thing to do. You are one of a kind and you are great!
Nanchi.blog
Your positive aura is virtually visible to me, Belles! You are a wonderful soul. I loved reading you. Each words comes from your heart. Thank you for sharing! 🙂
Belles Days
Thank you!
Belles Days
I’ve just looked at your blog. What glorious photos. I’m following!
Saumya Agrawal
What’s best about WP is its engaging community. To me, more than views and likes, what’s more exciting is receiving comments. 🙂
Belles Days
Absolutely agree with that. I have gained so much from comments. Thank you for yours!
Saumya Agrawal
Yes, talking to people from around the world.. it feels unreal.. but I see that the community here on WP is so much more better than the real world.. Don’t you think so?
Belles Days
I do – my daughter nipped to the shop to get stuff for her two little boys, and somebody stole her bike even though it was locked. That’s the real world I don’t like
Saumya Agrawal
Uggrrhhh.. That’s a horrible thing to do! :/
موقع بقايا
informative article thank u
carol hannah
I’m like you Belle, TM pains, aches and depression. And same, not sure if this virus is part of it and I’m sure it is. I’m getting fed up being indoors and even more fed up seeing loads of people out and about, ignoring the restrictions. AArrgghh! Caz x
belindawp
I know what you mean. This lockdown is hitting all of us hard I think. Just gotta keep going and smiling. Keep safe and well
carol hannah
For me, blogging is friendship and community. I love how everyone accepts and respects each other in our virtual world. Particularly at the awful time. People are reaching out more and offering to help. Caz x
glenmckenzie(justabitfurther)
As much as blogging is writing, it is also community. The very nature of what blogging is, makes it a type of online community. If you where to survey a thousand bloggers, asking them “what does blogging mean to them” you would likely get a thousand different answers and all of them would b correct.
It takes great courage to write about our own personal struggles and issues, when the very nature of “online” allows one to wear a mask shall we say. But, when we share our issues from our hearts, a couple of things happen. One, there is likely someone who that very moment needs to read exactly what you’ve just written. Secondly, we grow as well. Every time we write from our hearts/our souls and then hit “publish”, we grow. We do what 99.99% of people would never do – let strangers and friends have a glimpse into our world.
So, good for you!!
Belle
Thank you! I’m always pleased if someone says ‘that resonates with me’ because I know when I read something that resonates with me it’s a validation, yes, but it is also a comfort. If just one person takes something away from what I’ve written then I’ve grown another inch
glenmckenzie(justabitfurther)
I agree totally.