Sometimes this blogging thing can be absolutely overwhelming and downright paralyzing. In our second year, the newness has worn off, and sometimes it feels more like a job than a hobby. That’s inevitable, I think, in these labors of love (love of labor?). Still, I find myself coming back almost every day, and like many of you (I hope), I still feel that flutter of anticipation every time I click the bookmark in the hopes that there will be something new up there to read.
More often than in our first year, it seems, that hope hasn’t always panned out. Each of us has our own reasons, of course, but in general a lot of it has to do with major life transistions in love, work, and the end of our school career for a while (hurray! finally!).
These things trickle down to permeate all other things, including time, friendships, etc. As always, time and how to focus attention and energy is a constant question. We all answer differently at different times. Such is life.
As for me, here are my Top 10 Reasons why I’ve been (more) absent on-line:
- Much happier personal life
- More of a life (i.e. graduation)
- Fear of getting fired for posting during work
- 40-hour work week & illusion of “career”
- Disgust with politics
- Focus on community of faith
- Friendship transitions
- Reading books
- No comments (i.e. speaking to the void…)
- Fear of being one-woman drummer
Why m-pyre continues to be compelling for me:
- Sharing the outrage
- Thinking about planning
- Thinking about politics
- Thinking about community
- Thinking about ABQ & NM
- The original reason for starting m-pyre: because it’s a forum to think with smart women whose value and education (in part) I share and because I learn from them constantly
- Haven’t run across another blog that does what we do. Maybe if I did, the pressure would be off. There really is something to be said about uniqueness of perspectives and how each one is valuable.
- A liberal value: believing in the right and value of multiple voices.
- Because it makes me laugh.
- Because David Sirota e-mailed me about a post (about him. ahem)
- Putting my own thoughts into writing – and coming back to them over time
- Gauging my opinions by audience response (hint hint)
- The glory (just kidding, but there is something to feeling like you’re doing something, despite feeling despondent and inconsequential most of the time)
What I’ve heard people say about why they like m-pyre:
- Seeing women celebrate and support each other
- We're hot
- We finally shut up about Pearl’s
What I learn / look to hear about from Marjorie:
- Labor
- Immigration
- South American politics
- World Politics
- Conservative religion
- Social activism
- Free market / IMF / World Bank
- Importance of class
- Importance of family
What I learn / look to hear about from Maggie:
- Women in power / Women’s empowerment & rights
- Small town changes
- Suburbia
- Community-building
- Local economic development
- National politics
- Local politics
- Democrats
- All things southern
- Policy
- Wal-Mart
- Universal healthcare
- Baseball
- Importance of home
- Media
What I keep coming back to myself:
- Consequences of policy
- Meaning
- Hypocrisy
- Media
- Poetry
- Local community
- Iraq
- Constitution
- Signing statements
- Culture
I hope m-pyre has a long, long run of it. If we’re flagging a little, I’m sure it’s nothing a little audience participation can’t help. Clap for Tinkerbell, you cynics. Things aren’t that bad yet. What kind of liberal optimists are you, anyway? Clap!(And if you have suggestions, requests, etc, please, for your own conscience’s sake, JOT THEM DOWN – and send them to us!)
To summarize: COMMENT, people. We’re dying over here!
Thanks for reading. We’ll try to let you in on our weird and random thoughts as they come to us. That’s our job. Such lovely labor. Here's to another year of friendship, politics, and planning shared for all to read in this on-line community of thinkers.
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