As I mentioned in my previous post, I have been wearing my blogger’s hat now for five years. This post is #424. When I started this blogging gig, I was in the midst of chemo, probably not the best time to start a blog, or maybe it’s the perfect time… I certainly had no idea I would end up having so much to say about breast cancer and loss. Who knew?
I’m still an educator at heart, so I guess it makes perfect sense I started blogging at the beginning of a new school year. As we move into the ‘new year’ again, I thought it might be fun to share some random thoughts about blogging. Sometimes I just love being random, don’t you?
- Writing of any kind, including blogging, is risky. You put yourself out there and sometimes this creates uncomfortable-ness. Feeling vulnerable is a feeling most bloggers know quite well.
- Having said this, the risk is very much worth it because the rewards are great.
- The biggest reward by far for me is the community I have come to know, respect and love. As a whole, breast cancer bloggers and blog readers are a very welcoming, non-judgmental and forgiving lot. And realizing you are not alone in whatever it is you are dealing with, well, you just can’t beat that.
- Sometimes you pour your heart and soul into a post and you do not get the response you expected.
- Sometimes you pour your heart and soul into a post and you DO get a response like you NEVER expected.
- So you just never know what may or may not strike a chord with readers. Challenging, yes, but keeps me on my toes I guess.
- I consider many of my blogging pals (including readers) to be friends. Real friends.
- Working from behind a keyboard works out great for this introvert.
- I learn stuff every single day.
- I hate cancer and I REFUSE to pretty it up on my blog. REFUSE!
- Related to #10 I suppose, somewhere along the line I got a bit rebellious and morphed into some sort of advocate and this still surprises me sometimes.
- Blogging and reading blogs is addictive. I have no idea how many I read. I should create a system of some sort, but as you may or may not know, I’m basically very unorganized…
- I also have no idea how long I’ll keep blogging. I have a whole notebook full of ideas. Finding time to write about them is what holds me back. And being unorganized doesn’t help either.
- I don’t want to keep blogging too long though, ‘cuz who wants to become that old worn out blogger who merely keeps repeating herself?
My friend Jody of women with cancer once told me, “Keep at it (blogging) as long as it feeds your soul.”
That’s what I intend to do.
Thank you for hanging around with me as we enter another ‘new year’ at Nancy’s Point.
What sort of posts interest you most – personal experience, loss/grief-related, information sharing, advocacy, rants, guest posts, reviews, or some other?
Share a random thought or two about blogging or reading blogs if you want to (and I hope you do). Feel free to share your blog link if you have a blog.
I guess this could be another one of those blogging challenges (14 random thoughts on blogging) – hint, hint…
Sign up for emails/newsletters from Nancy’s Point here.
Terri Marshall
Wednesday 23rd of September 2015
Hi, Nancy, I just discovered your blog. I look forward to going back and reading some of your past posts. I also recently started a blog, and I am finding it good for me to write about things that are important to me. Even if nobody reads them, it's worth it to me anyway just for my own satisfaction. I haven't done any writing in years, so I have found it good for my brain. I, too, have had breast cancer. I am about 14 months post diagnosis and about to finish Herceptin treatment. I hope to get my port out by the end of December and maybe then I won't feel like a cancer "patient" anymore. Thanks again for sharing your thoughts with us. Many blessings to you. :)
Mae
Monday 14th of September 2015
You keep writing and I'll keep reading! Here's to another five years.
Nancy
Monday 14th of September 2015
Mae, Thank you for your support. I appreciate it.
Cancer Curmudgeon
Saturday 12th of September 2015
This one really struck a nerve for me because I constantly question why I blog, do I call myself a "cancer blogger", advocacy and a whole host of topics I've been writing drafts about. But especially the issue of repeating myself. To some extent, that cannot be helped because the culture has not changed. This has frustrated me greatly--so many women have written great critiques of the image of breast cancer as a sexy party, yet that image persists. I am not a patient person, and the small baby steps forward (like the recent race I wrote about with the tagline "a fun event for a serious cause" which I took as progress) have left me unsatisfied. But it is a comfort to see you still putting yourself out there. So I hope you are able to keep at it for a long, long time!
Nancy
Monday 14th of September 2015
CC, I know what you mean about the repeating myself part. Sometimes I do wonder how many ways we can say some of this stuff. Progress is painfully slow, I agree. And a few giant steps would sure be nice once in a while. Readers and bloggers like you keep me going. So thank you for your ongoing support. I hope you keep blogging with your unique voice as well.
Jenny Bender
Friday 11th of September 2015
As you say, writing is risky-- especially when we're putting ourselves out there in very personal ways, such as by writing about our breasts! But I agree, it's been so worth it because as I've opened myself up in my blog posts, people have opened up to me in ways I never would have expected... and people whom I never would have expected to open up, period, have shown whole new sides of themselves. It's been rather miraculous. Even though I still get a bit nervous every time I press "post" (especially when I'm writing about, say, nipple reconstruction and imagining my father-in-law reading all about it!), I am so glad I've taken the risk and, as a result, formed new, unexpected, wonderful connections online and in person.
Thanks, Nancy, for once again sharing your thoughts and getting me thinking!
Nancy
Friday 11th of September 2015
Jenny, Yes, sometimes I can't believe that I've shared such personal things online and now I've got this book coming out too... Yikes! In addition to being risky, it's also rather freeing though, don't you think? Not that many of my relatives read my blog these days. At least I don't think so anyway. If they do, they are very quiet about it! And you're so right about the amazing and wonderful people we 'meet' here. The community is just wonderful. Thank you for reading and sharing some thoughts. Keep writing!
Tracy
Friday 11th of September 2015
I hope you'll still be blogging in five years time Nancy because you share thoughts, information and sentiments that are always helpful, thought-provoking, uplifting or simply say 'you're not alone' which is essential for anyone going through a tough time - cancer related or otherwise. Though I wish we hadn't been thrown together through cancer and loss, I'm still glad I found your blog :-)
Nancy
Friday 11th of September 2015
Tracy, I'm glad you found my blog, too, and I'm glad I found yours as well. Thank you so much for reading and for the lovely comment.