Well looky here. February marks this blogs’ 3 year anniversary. And 3 years that we’ve been in Indiana, too.
When I think about it, I started writing here for 3 reasons:
1. To pretend that I was in close contact with my friends in Boston because I so, so, SO did not want to be in Indiana
2. To procrastinate while working on my MFA thesis
3. To connect with other new parents/find a virtual community
Point the first: I communicate with my Boston friends mostly through Facebook now–I don’t even know if they read my blog. And despite an incredibly difficult year (or two) I have adjusted to life in the midwest. (And I’ve got the 10 extra pounds of sitting on my rear in a car to prove it!) Mostly, I don’t think about Boston anymore. I’ve hardened my heart to it.
Sweet Cheeks and I forget the names of places we used to frequent–possibly on purpose. I haven’t been back in two and a half years now. If I reminisce too much, the stitches holding my heart together start to fray. (A little too dramatic? Have you been READING this blog for the last three years?)
Point the second: Academic me/possible educator me feels pretty dead now. I re-read my thesis last year and it kind of did suck. It’s like a first draft. But I wrote it going through one of the most difficult years in my life (new baby, PPD, moving) and I’m giving myself credit for finishing it at ALL.
My MFA did give me the gravitas to be a part of Our Stories, though. And I really like reading what other people are working on and providing some editorial advice. Also, check out the new interview with Karen Bender. The first question about balancing a writing life with motherhood is mine! (Spoiler: It’s not great news for those of us who aspire to write while raising children.)
Point the third: This is where my blog has had the most success. I love my regular readers and the back-and-forth we have on each other’s posts. Just knowing that there is nothing I am experiencing as a mother that is unique reduces a lot of stress for me.
I still think about closing up shop several times a month. I wonder if blogging takes away from other writing, from spending creative energy on my boys, from many other endeavors. But knowing that my new local friends and other blogging friends care enough about what I have to say that they return week after week keeps me going. And that’s more than enough for me.
