I am not my blog
Wednesday, July 25, 2007 at 08:36AM Jules has written a post, The Nature of the Blogging Beast, that struck a chord with me.
But, for all our feigned intimacy with the blogs that we read, we’re really only relating to a section of their lives. Blogging is a neatly compartmentalized world. It is life condensed into bite-sized stories which the author crafts from the viewpoint of humor or faith or what have you. They are a snapshot, a glimpse into a life. They are not the embodiment of that life.
Well said, and something that I have had to remind well meaning blogging friends several times.
Yes, I blog about my dogs. No, I don't (often) blog about my family. No, this does NOT mean I love my dogs more than my children. Really. It doesn't. I promise. It just means the dogs don't require or desire privacy but my family does!
Yes, I like Harry Potter. I've had fun with the books on my blog. But, no, I do not think that they are essential reading. I thoroughly enjoy them but my life has not been particularly enriched by them nor do I think your life will be impoverished if you don't read them. They are books--stories--fiction.
Yes, I am Reformed, as in Presbyterian. PCA to be exact. A well meaning friend has suggested--more than once--that I should try to write to a more general Christian audience, so as not to offend anyone or suggest that Reformed theology is correct theology. Friends, I promise you; I am Reformed because I am convinced and convicted that Reformed Theology best reflects the Biblical record. Would you expect me to set aside my deeply held convictions just because "not everybody believes that way?"
And yes, I drink wine. Everytime I mention this in passing on my blog, one or more subscribers unsubscribe. I'm sorry about that, but while I believe that drunkeness is a sin, I don't believe that having a glass of wine with my husband over dinner or on the patio is a sin.
There's a lot more going on in my life than what I chose to blog about. There's a lot more going on in your life than I read on your blog. I am not my blog. Are you? (That is, are you your blog?)
Reader Comments (21)
Well said my friend. We need to give grace to one another in bloggy world, too. We need to trust other bloggers to the Lord not to our judgement. Blessings...
Good point!
Well said! Thanks!
Yes!
**grin** Does that mean, "Yes, you are your blog?"**grin**
(No, I know it doesn't. Just had to tease a bit.)
"I am not my blog"...Yes, yes and yes my Friend. I think this requires a button.
What a talent you have; your buttons are always great!
love this post. Jules has mentioned all of writing something on this. I think it will be my post for tomorrow.I'll be looking for it!
And I sure hope she makes those buttons!
Blessings,
Karla
Leslie linked to this post - and I really appreciated it. I struggled with this exact issue a lot, to the extent that I have seriously considered taking my blog down. But I came to the conclusion that I hold my convictions for a reason, God has brought me to them in his way, and I am not ashamed of them. If other's disagree, that is their liberty, but I shouldn't have to explain myself or defend them all the time. =)
Yep, convictions are like that. If you have 'em it's because you believe them!
Very well said.
It's something that has been on my mind quite a bit in recent weeks/months. By design, my blog is not "a slice of my life", although I do post personal things from time to time.
We do need to be reminded that what we conclude about a person from his blog is just a fraction of what/who he is.
That's a really good point--in real life, too! Only God knows all the details. He not only knows them, He understands them. We don't even understand ourselves most of the time!
Can I be YOUR blog? I mean, c'mon! Dogs in front, kids somewhere on the sidelines and a glass of wine on the porch with fun books thrown in for good measure. Let someone else be Mrs. Gadget Man (what with lifelong covenants, dirty carpet and incontinent washing machines), I want to be Hiraeth! :~D.
**grin** No, silly, you can't be my blog, unless you want to come weed my yard and do my laundry! **grin** : D
Love this. Excellent post.
Lovely, true post.
I find the differences between the REAL me and my blog both hilarious and disconcerting.
Me, too. I am frequently thankful that no one can see me through the computer, like now. Bed hair and bathrobe is not my best look!
Hey! I so totally relate! I think we would be good friends if we were around each other.I just hope your dogs are nice and not rude. :)
Rude dogs and rude kids just sorta rub me wrong.
I know we would be good friends, Candy! Ivy, the youngster dog, can be very rude. (uninvited kisses and some hard to restrain herself leaps for joy)
She is frequently not invited to social situations. (Right, Dorothy?)
My boys are very well behaved and gentlemanly. : D
Very well said Kim!
:)
Well said!
I agree! We should all feel free to express what we feel and think without fear of persecution. Thanks for saying what most of us are thinking :-)
You brought up a lot of great points. I'm new to blogging (not new to online journaling. I was doing that back in 99). But, the world itself has grown smaller as the internet world has grown bigger. You get to read about the lives of Moms all over the world, were as 10 years ago we may have only known the Mom next door. And I do often wonder does this bring good things to our lives or bad? And I've concluded it's somewhere in the middle. I learn so much from the internet blogging Mom. But, I don't presume to know her. There are things even my own sister doesn't know about me. How could I assume I know all there is to know about a fellow blogging Mom? But, I can learn from her, I can become a better Mom because of her, or a stronger Christian because of her. So, there is benefit to even the smallest glimps into each other lives. But, if you take it further, then you're stepping on toes and going places you weren't invited! So, there is reason to use caution as we open up and share our lives. I'll have to think on this one some more!
BTW, my sister is PCA. I live in the south and didn't know what a PCA church was. But, she's educating me.
Blessings,
Georgia Mom
Thank you!! I'm struggling with this, as I have recently discovered that many women in my church read my blog. One was offended by something I sarcastically said and sent an ELDER over to my house to talk to me. (What??) I wanted to scream "This blog is not my whole life!!" It is bits and snippets, mostly about everyday mommy stuff, and it not meant to be a full character-study of me, my faith, my marriage, whatever.
Ugh.
I came over from Musings of a Housewife. I officially applaud you. I have no idea what "Reformed" means, as I have always grown up in non-denominational settings, but I have to agree with you especially on the point of what you believe doctrinally. :-) Kudos for your boldness.
Very well written post.
Rather than comment, I have a few thoughts on the subject at my blog which you have inspired.
I dropped by from Kim's though I have been reading your blog for a while and even though I had already read Jules post too !!
Great post - puts so much of it in a nutshell.
"so as not to offend anyone" why does this make me cringe!!
Greetings from Northern Ireland