I was reading a blog last night that kind of bothered me. I was going to leave my comment on her blog, but it got rather long, so I decided that I wanted to share my thoughts here. I'm not writing about this to disrespect her opinion (nor do I want anyone else to do that, which is why I didn't link to her blog). I just wanted to discuss that topic a bit because I feel that I fall into the category she was referring to even though I don't believe she was specifically talking about me. I just wanted to defend those bloggers she was referring to.

The point of the post was that she felt that the people who write the witty, observant type of blogs (I'm thinking Seinfeld?) are putting on an act and that they were basically writing for their readers. She felt that this was covering up self-esteem problems.

As for me, I understand and like these blogs and the people behind them. I'm assuming that they're like me in that my writing is not an act and has nothing to do with self-esteem. This is how I am in real life. I even giggle about things when I'm all by myself because I am constantly amused by what goes on around me. I talk about what interests me, and I'm mostly attracted to the blogs that are like mine.

Really, look at the types of books out there. There are funny books, romance novels, spiritual books, etc. People write what they enjoy writing about or what they're good at. Sure, some authors of books write what they think will sell, but I don't think they're hiding anything. As for blogs, I think most write for their own enjoyment, and if they're like me, they write to amuse themselves. If nobody likes it, who cares. I'm not asking for anyone's opinion on how I look (I have a mirror), if I'm a good writer (I know I have a problem with grammar and apostrophe's), or whether anyone thinks I'm crazy (because I already know the answer to that!)

It's fun to write. I'll certainly admit that it is nice to see people coming back to read about what's going on in my life, just like it's nice that people call me to go have lunch with them. It's because they enjoy spending time with me. Who doesn't like that?

But the point is, I write for me, not anyone else. My personal journal (prior to going online) and letters to family and friends read very much like my blog. It usually contained funny observations, or something dumb I did that day. That's who I am, and I love to go back weeks or months later to re-read the dumb stuff I've written about. It makes me laugh and I LOVE to laugh. It's kind of like watching re-runs of a comedy that I've enjoyed, only better because it's all about me.me.me!

I went to lunch with a girlfriend of mine on Tuesday. We talked about some very deep things and both of us cried, but we also laughed a whole lot. At the end of the lunch we giggled about the fact that we were laughing and talking about death and cancer all in the same lunch hour. We connected. It's OK to have fun and be light hearted as long as you also can respectfully acknowledge in whatever way you feel comfortable, the sad things.

In Hospice, we laugh just as much as we cry. Laughter is SO good for the soul. So is connecting.

The blogs I avoid are the ones that live their lives to get people to feel sorry for them. Emotional vampires, martyrs, and drama queens/kings (in the attention-seeker way... I like FUNNY drama queen/kings). It's draining and annoying. I avoid those people in real life too.

I have a secret online journal that only a hand full of people know about. It contains very private thoughts and the comments are closed. I rarely write in it, but I do so to release emotions that nobody else needs to deal with. Again, I write that for me, but I have shared it with some who I felt need to know *why* I understand what they're feeling. I also wanted them to see that you can be on rock bottom and there is sunlight out there. I have built some really great coping tools over my life, and I have hubby and sis to talk to when I need it. But I still need to write because that's who I am.

I feel that blogs really are a reflection of what people are like in real life. Bloggers own the real estate, and that's the cool part. They can blog about whatever they'd like and not worry about boring anyone to tears or making anyone's eyes bleed. People can choose to read or not, but in real life people don't usually have that option. I mean really, have you ever been prisoner to a person in real life that just wouldn't stop talking? It's hard to walk away if you're a nice person. But a blog? They'll never know if you click the little "x" at the top of the page.

A blog should be for one's own entertainment- whatever that entertainment might be.

So, there's the other side of the coin. Now you can see why I didn't leave all of this in a teeny tiny comment box.