The Bloggers Dilemma

Recently, a friend confided in me about a blog we mutually visited, “What is the purpose of it?", they asked, confused about its random content. I commented that the writer was probably trying to get their feet wet with an online presence and that maybe the site would morph into something very specific over time. The friend continued to look quizzically at me and said, “I feel like I’m reading someone’s diary.” This comment has since haunted me as I daily develop ideas in my mind and trash them just as quickly because I feel they are not “blog-worthy.” I guess the point is, “What am I doing here on Straight from Hill?”

Blogging, I've discovered through some research, serves multiple purposes and personalities. It is a creative outlet for the writer: a place to "file" important thoughts, discoveries and news. For the more practical blogger it is a useful means to reach a mass audience with answers, ideas, and advertisements. But in either case, the blogger is making an attempt to find a reader with a particular interest whether it be politics or parenting. The most successful bloggers have found a niche that threads together a community of followers and leads them on a journey.

In this respect, I've decided my blog has to evolve and grow a heart. A single, hard-working idea that pumps meaning into the body of my work. Up until now I have simply been writing thoughtful essays on subjects that emerge from random reflections on life. While meaningful, they do not encourage a reader to come back because I never intended really, on writing for anyone else but for me to get thoughts organized then written down. In other words, now that I've exposed myself, it's time to walk proudly in my skin and choose a place to go.

As is typical in my poor-decision-making mind, I cannot just choose one subject--yet. I have to try a few paths out. Ideas that have surfaced so far include: the writer's journey (too broad and

common); raising teens with a tot (this dichotomy of my life

creates its own chaos worthy of an entire encyclopedia worth of rants); Simply Small Living (the characters and happenings of small town life and how our family fits, or not). I also have thought about giving myself a "charge" such as eating home for 100 days or no laundry for a month. Your ideas and feedback are encouraged, e-mail me at hills@terrapintrips.com. But for now, I will embark on the next few entries with a different intent; an attempt to mainstream my expression.

Read an excerpt from my last entry into “Terrapintrips.com” the website I maintained while we sailed the Pacific. I refer to it often because it briefly states what the most meaningful aspect of checking out of life on land meant. Which leads me to my last suggested blog idea: "Land Cruising", discovering delight in everyday things (still random, but worthy).

"What if we treated everyday life like we were cruising? I continue to ponder how we can hold onto some of the pleasure of life we experienced the last seven months. One aspect of the cruising life that is so intriguing is the excitement that comes from each place, each new boat in an anchorage, each crossing, each day. What if we approached our life on land with that same sense of wonder, positive energy, and absence of time? Yes, it would be difficult to explain the time element to principals and bosses, but the essence of waking up with a smile and actually approaching life with a---"whatever happens today will be new, different, and a part of my history"--attitude. Kids do it everyday, that's why it's so difficult to get them out of bed and to school, or put them to sleep late at night.

The routines we get into and faces we see everyday during our life on land make it difficult to imagine being surprised or delighted on a Wednesday in February. But it's possible. If you can train yourself to find humor in the guy dancing behind the wheel during a traffic jam or make the effort to strike up a conversation with the clerk at the 7-11, inevitably you'll start to discover unforeseen treasures in your everyday life.

There's a little cruising blood in all of us, and sailing skills are not required. We hope you discover yours."