8.05.2005

to all the blogs I've loved before

let's talk about blogs.

I started this thing last march, shortly after finding out I was pregnant. it was basically to just talk about what it's like to be pregnant, because at the time, I was the only person out of my group of closest friends to be pregnant, and they wanted blow by blow info. and it was sort of like my diary. shortly after, nicole got pregnant, but I blogged on anyway. my friends, one by one, started blogging, and it was such a great way to keep in touch with all of them. even the ones I talk to several thousand times a day.

then our little network got bigger - either by being nextblogged or nextblogging ourselves. my blogroll (which someday I hope returns to its rightful position over there --> ) is full of people who have contributed something to my day to day life, either by coming here and introducing themselves, or having been introduced elsewhere. now, I have a blogiverse full of people who I keep track of, and who, in turn, keep track of me.

most of you already know where this is going. I would be heartbroken if one of my bloggy friends stopped blogging. and so, I am heartbroken. no excuses are necessary, no explanations needed - but boobecca, please...even if it's a totally new blog, please return to us. and the rest of you, don't stop blogging. it doesn't matter if you have 2 readers or 200, there are those among us who wonder where you go when you're gone. when kodi went to the boy scout jamboree, and we heard about accidents that happened there, I told my husband "I have a friend there! I hope she's okay." and when recently talking about Real World Austin, I told someone "I have a friend who lives in austin, and she loves it." that sums up how I feel about everyone I connect with through this medium - we're all friends. friends who never actually met each other, friends we'd pass by on the street if we saw them unless they were dressed and posed exactly like their little icon, friends who know more about us in some cases than some of our own family.

I guess the theme here, besides convincing missuz j to blog again, is to thank all of you who come here and everyone who I've visited for creating something bigger than bits and bytes on an intangible superhighway.

10 validations:

NME said...

Beautifully put as usual.
You folks make my possibly lonely stay at home daily existence into a house full of friends and supporters. I don't know how I'd do without you.
And if someone just vanishes - it's like suffering a loss.
I don't care why she stopped or what makes her start again - I just want Becca and Sophie returned to us.

Katy said...

Thanks so much for showing your support to my sweet sis. Good friends are so valuable no matter how far away they are.

Anonymous said...

I have joined your blog world too. I read almost everyone on your blog roll daily. I am totally addicted to other people's life stories. That's probably why I became a developmental psychologist. I love to know where people have been and where they are going. I too miss Becca and Sophie. It's so nice to get a glimpse into what Dermot may be like some day. Ethan has even started reading some of these and I tell him stories from the blogs that I have read, so he's part of the blog world too now. He thinks that I should start a blog too, but we'll see.

amandak said...

You rock Patrice. As I am a fairly new blogger, I wonder quite often about the connections we make through this medium. I feel like you guys ARE my friends, so I think that MAKES you my friends, doesn't it? The bottom line for me, when I start getting self-conscious-blog-weirdness, is that doing this makes my day a little happier, makes me feel connected to the world and other mothers, and brings more faith and hope into my life, and I do believe that's a good thing.

p.s. I'm totally going to start calling MJ boobecca, it has quite a ring to it.

Kathryn said...

Amen. I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who refers to you guys as my friends. The support I feel even just from a comment or two, is priceless. I've been thinking of a way to say that stuff all day. I'm glad Patrice beat me to it, she said it so much more eloquently than I could have.

Jen said...

I echo your sentiments exaclty and I am glad to see that Missuz J has returned to us today! I hope she'll never try to leave us again; it was like a friend moving away, except I didn't know where she'd gone.

Kathryn said...

Oh, and I'm loving the green!

Unknown said...

That was awesome. I would have never been able to say that. It's so true what you said.
I am so glad that you and Nicole introduced me to blogging. I would have never known. I am not as faithful as the 2 of you at this, but I am trying. Slowly, but surely. It's nice since I am always so far from home, but feel like I am home. Thank you!

Lonna~ Please start a blog. I would love to see it! You always have something to say. I know you don't know me, but I have known Ethan for almost all of my life. We grew up together and went to the same church. I will have to share pics sometime. Lots of pics from high school!!

mrs. awesome said...

what i love about blogging is the connection. i don't have to leave the house, or do a lot of work to "maintain" a friendship, but i love saying my piece. when your stage of life (i.e. small children) makes it difficult to go out and devote time to making new friends, this is a good way to feel connected. also, if you move, they're still in the same place! :)

Jen O. said...

Hi from hothothot Orange, California!

I actually started blogging in February 2004, with the whole dreams blog. I don't know why I feel the need to point that out. It's weird how your pregnancy, and Nicole's, affected my dreams then. There are dreams about you having babies, and about me being pregnant, which directly a result of you.

Sometimes I feel like we talk so much about blogging that we forget to blog. It's a trip-up I've found in writing poetry and writing in general. There's so much talk about the process and the reasons and the impetus and the mechanics that we forget about the product, the end result.

I think you're a great writer, Patrice, and I'm glad you decided to start this, and most glad that you decided to stick with it.