It is a place for me to discern how to respond to my world. When it doesn't make sense, how do I find clarity? How do I understand circumstances, especially when things are rough? And are these circumstances God's will or am I seeking my response to be Godly...what would Jesus do?
Recently a few people have suggested I get some of my pieces published. A couple have suggested I package all the Parkinson's pieces into a book. One blogging friend suggested I send some pieces to Guideposts. But that's not why I do this, that isn't the point at all. I plod away with posts in order to organize my thoughts and find the path to pure responses. It means I have to figure out what I don't know or what I need to know to move forward and try to articulate that. Individual posts help me internalize an experience and put a voice to thoughts. Each one is a gift in some way.
Having a blog has given me a place to tell my/our story the way I want it told. It is my opinions, it is my view of experiences and my journey towards discovery in how to handle life as it unfolds. It is a way for me communicate what is important to me and anyone who wants to read it can. I am not making anyone listen to me blather on and on. It's a choice. My choice. Your choice.
Can you imagine how this platform of blogging has grown since its inception in 1994? It began as more of a personal journal shared online. I actually use it for just that purpose. But now? Today? There are more than 600 million blogs on the web. The number of bloggers in the US alone will reach about 32 million users in 2020. Isn't that staggering?
Have you thought about doing one yourself? Maybe you want to chronicle your faith journey. Maybe your mother is sick and you want to save the details for your family to read. Or maybe you are all about baking and want to keep track of your masterpieces, the tweaks to recipes handed down by your grandmother. My blog descriptions says:
I am one of those people who likes 'connection'. Here is my way to 'stay connected' to those I love, letting them check in when they wish rather than continually flooding them with emails. I will include whatever is on my mind so beware! Might be food, might be a project, might be the beauty we are surrounded with. It might be a memory or a quote that has caught my attention. All of that makes up our life. In recent months, the sometimes overwhelming control Parkinson's Disease has on our lives messes with the pretty parts. We are managing, but more and more this blog is about PD. Life ever changing… it is how we choose to encounter it that makes or breaks a day. So read on in hope.
"You gotta train your mind to be stronger than your emotions or else you'll loose yourself every time."
Writing a blog about things that are relevant to you establishes those thoughts as valid to you. If you have ever thought about beginning one...
Here are the blogging platforms and what each is best at.
- WordPress.org: Best Blogging Platform Ever Built
- Constant Contact Builder: AI-Powered Blogging Platform
- Gator Website Builder: All in One Blogging Platform
- WordPress.com: Best Free Blogging Platform
- Blogger.com: Blogging Platform by Google
- Tumblr: Best Microblogging Platform
- Medium: Best Platform for Simplicity
- Squarespace: Premium All-in-one Blogging Platform
- Ghost: Best WordPress Alternative
- Weebly: Best Drag and Drop Platform
- LiveJournal: Best Journal for Beginners
- TypePad: Blogging Service by Endurance Group
- Wix: Freemium Site / Blog Builder
Most have a free version so what do you have to lose?