I Blog Therefore I Am. Corny yet true.

27 Replies

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I have been chosen to be one of the employees featured on the recruiting page for my company’s website. Not to be cynical, but I do believe that they intend to show the diversity within the company and that’s the main reason why I have been chosen: Asian, female, liberal arts.

So I had to write a short bio in the form of answering standard questions such as “Why did you decide to work for XXX?” (The answer I would have given if I were being 100% frank: Eh, because they hired me?) “What do you like the most of XXX?” (Eh, the fact that they did not fire me? In this economic climate, are you kidding me? Nobody should be complaining abut their company right now!)

I have standard responses to these standard questions of formality, naturally. However, there is ONE standard question that always throws me into a reality check and thereafter an identity crisis:

“What activities/hobbies are you involved in outside of work?”

I have no hobby.

Ok. That’s not completely true.

I have never had a hobby in my life. Other than reading and listening to music and watching movies. Yawn!

I don’t run.

I don’t sing or play any musical instrument.

I don’t cook.

I can’t sew for my life.

I don’t even scrapbook.

Anything that involves fingers I am bad at. Yes, smart ass, that includes giving a hand job to myself and others.

I sat down and took stock of my life, how I spent my free time. (Not) surprisingly, I have been devoting my free (and not so free) time to Social Media. Twitter and blogging.

In the beginning it did concern me: what am I trying to get out of this blogging thing? It naturally bothered my husband as well since the time I sat in front of the computer meant the time I was not spending with him and the kids. But he came to realize, as I did, that writing my heart out is a great way for me to self-medicate. It is a wonderful way for me to release to pent-up tensions. The bottled-up need for this closeted drama queen to say, “Look at me!”

For what it’s worth, at the risk of sounding like an egomaniac, this is also my “craft”. It is something that I created. Every time I rattle out these words and hit the “Publish” button, I “made” something. These words, for better or worse, are mine. And mine alone. It feels good. I have also learned to do this for myself. Me alone. It feels liberating once I drill that into my blogging soul.

As you are probably tired of hearing, I will be flying to BlogHer, a conference for women who blog. I am a blogger. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

For the next few days I will be live blogging here through my tweets: You can find the live blogging posts below right above this one. I thought it would be fun to share what I am seeing, feeling and thinking at this crazy crazy event. I hope to meet you if you are going to be there; I hope to meet all of you, if you would like to be met that is, one way or the other sometime. You never know. This is a small small world. And insane too.

27 thoughts on “I Blog Therefore I Am. Corny yet true.”

  1. Katybeth

    Uh…you have me wondering did I start blogging because I can’t sew, craft, play a musical instrument, and ditched scrap booking the moment I go could go digital…Your right, you need to say you “do something” and the added bonus is having something to show for hours on-line. Yep, I think you helped me find the real reason I started to blog! Thanks for saving me hours of therapy!

    Nice to meet you!
    Katybeth
    Katybeth recently posted…My Odd FamilyMy Profile

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    1. Absence Alternatives Post author

      Nice meeting you too! I think what I was trying to convey is also this attitude people have towards bloggers: Why is it that say cross-stitching is a legitimate hobby, whereas when you say you blog, people roll their eyes so vehemently you can hear the eyes grinding in the sockets! Blogging requires a person to be able to WRITE. Isn’t writing inherently a craft? No, my blog posts are not great writing, but do you need to be a master chef in order to proclaim that you enjoy cooking as a hobby? I have been trying to “own” this. Not feeling embarrassed by it… the tricky part is that I am anon on the internet, so I cannot really tell people I know IRL that I enjoy blogging because that will beg the inevitable question What’s your blog? and I really don’t want them to know.

      I wish I could “come out” one day as a blogger. Until that day though, I am at peace with myself. At least. baby steps. 🙂

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    1. Absence Alternatives Post author

      It’s exhausting. As any get-together with 2500+ women inadventently ends up, it is nerve-wrecking to say the least. The best part is really to meet some of the women I have come to respect and love online. One does not need BlogHer to do it. Those who were not there saved a lot of hurt and self-doubt by not being there. Trust me. 🙂

      Look! A change of subject! WHO GOT MORE THAN 200+ comments on one post??!! Huh? Huh?! 🙂 🙂 🙂

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  5. Naptimewriting

    I kind of hate people who have awesome answers to what they do outside work. Um, everybody eats and watches some form of entertainment, including words on a page or screen or images on a screen. What else is there? Clog dancing?
    Fuck scrapbookers.
    There. I said it.
    Naptimewriting recently posted…Open Letter to Alfie KohnMy Profile

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    1. Absence Alternatives Post author

      What she said.

      😉

      Dude, I want to kidnap you so you can get away from those mutant ninja boys (Unconditional Parenting be damned! For one day!) We as earth dwellers have a responsibility to make sure your brilliance continue to shine through.

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  6. Nance

    My first year blogoversary is coming up, which means I’m still too new at this to imagine meeting up with scores (hundreds? thousands?) of IRL bloggers. Woo! Real Life Overload!

    Still, I can almost sorta kinda imagine craving to attend next year. So, go ahead, girl; make me jealous!
    Nance recently posted…The Politics of Food Pass The ArtilleryMy Profile

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    1. Absence Alternatives Post author

      Thank you for the permission to gloat! 🙂 There were 2500 ppl!! Yes, real life overload indeed. I was really fortunate that I met up w this wonderful group of crazy chicks and we were joking about how amazing it is we don’t find anyone amongst us that we can’t stand. LOL.

      It’s hard to find friends when you are a grown-up, after school esp. Ppl that are geographically close and somehow are “accessible” for you to befriend are not necessarily of the same mind and compatible personality. It’s arbitrary who is nearby. I feel that I’ve been able to use my blog as a “filter” to find like-minded ppl. I would love to hang out w u and Mary Lee. You may want to tell me to shut up after one night. LOL. But at least I believe we will be able to have a decent dinner conversation. 🙂

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  8. pattypunker

    i feel the same about my little habit, i mean hobby. and my husband felt like yours did — that it was time i wasn’t spending with him and that there people who i adored more than him and i was more enthusiastic about. it’s one of the reasons i’m only going to blogher for one day/night. sigh.

    but it is my sanity and love, and a creative outlet. so i’m sticking with it for as long as i continue having fun and it continues to save me from the doldrums and frustrations of real life. which were all killing me slowly before i discovered my niche blogosphere.
    pattypunker recently posted…calypso fairy taleMy Profile

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  9. Average Girl

    Wow, this BlogHer thing is THE event, huh?! Can’t wait to read more about it. Have fun, and don’t worry about the rules (unless, of course, not following them lands you in jail. But, cuffs are a nice accessory, right?).

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  11. Andrea

    I, as a jealous-wish-I-could-be-at-BlogHer blogger, cannot wait to read every single update so I may pretend I’m there with all you super AMAZING bitches (and I say bitches with total love and affection tinged with the slightest envy). Can’t believe I’m missing out. SO glad you are blogging. 🙂

    So live it up, girl!

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  12. Vanilla North

    amen to all the things that make you blog. Thereapist are sure fucking pissed with all this bloging shit, because, like you say, we drop our hearts out here, instead of in a doctor’s office – minus the, what? $100-$200 bucks an hour.

    You may no be a master of your domain with your fingers, but you rock with your head on your blog.

    Have a great time in NYC, have a shot for me and remember to wear at least, 4 different pair of shes a day- minimum.
    😀
    Vanilla North recently posted…the greatest green man green 5My Profile

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    1. Absence Alternatives Post author

      Thank you! The way you write, I really DO feel your blog posts are pieces of literature.

      Will drink for you of course! I hope more people ask me to do that for them! 😉 Will try and take group nekkid pictures and send them to you too! 🙂

      Reply ↓

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