Tuesday, July 17, 2007

The time has come...

We writers are a strange lot. I include myself in the ‘we writers’ group, not because I think I am actually legitimate enough to consider myself a writer, but because I write, and I am definitely strange.

I haven’t really told a lot of people in my real world that I have this blog. I started it thinking it might be a nice way to keep my parents updated on what is going on with my family, but then I never told them about it. I don’t know why, I think it has something to do with the fact that the people in my real life may, you know, have opinions and judgments, and tell me about them.

I love to write, the more I do it, the more I want to do it, and I think in some small way, the better I get. However, if I think someone I know is going to read what I write I freeze up. I can hardly get the words down because every time I type something I think what is _____ going to think of me if I write this? So I can’t flow, I am stilted. I am stuck.

I don’t do well with criticism. I don’t know why. I know who I am in Christ, so why does it bother me if someone corrects my spelling or tells me that the last sentence I wrote is totally grammatically incorrect, or a good writer would, you know, not use ‘you know’ and ‘totally’ in a sentence.

So here’s the funny thing. When I started writing things about my life and my family and putting it out there for all the Internet to read (because you know everyone is dying to know what this Texas, homeschooling mom does with her time) I knew it would get out to those that I know in real life, I just didn’t think it would bother me so much.

But in the end, secrets are bad, and I outed myself anyway.

Sometimes when I write something I think my family and friends might like to read, I copy it and send it to them via email. I know, you’re thinking just give them the link you dork, but you see, then they could read everything I have written, and you know, have opinions and judge. So I just sent them the email.

Know what? When you cut a blog entry and past it into an email, you ARE sending the link to your blog, right there in the title of the entry!

So there it is. My friends and family have probably been reading all along. I’m sure they have opinions and judgments, but they have yet to share them with me.

Time to steal myself…I CAN handle criticism. I am certainly not perfect, I do things wrong, spell things wrong, use ‘you know’ too much, and am often grammatically incorrect.
Hopefully, to know me is to love me anyway.

4 comments:

Halfmoon Girl said...

I find that i sometimes hold back from talking about things like my relationship with my Dad, as I know that my mom reads occasionally. She would never say anything, but i don't want her to hurt over it.

Anonymous said...

I do the same thing. My parents know the blog, but my inlaws don't. I don't think there is any negative mention of them, but I feel like if they read it I'd have to be more careful.

Tonya said...

Tricia,

Did Sarah ever tell you that I read your blog? DAILY? And shared it with Dawn and my Mom when we were all together in Colorado recently. I have thoroughly enjoyed what you write! Of course, odds of me ever being mentioned are slim to none. :-) Oh, I think I also shared your blog info with Kari Mugele - maybe I didn't though, can't remember. Ahh, the joys of being a mom with 4 kids! :-)

Love,
Tonya

Tricia said...

Tonya, yes Sarah did tell me you read it, but not daily, I'm flattered.

Really I think it is hard for me to think D's side of the family reading.

They can all leap small buildings in a single bound :o) I just write silly stuff on the Internet for the whole world to read!

Maybe someday I'll get something published then I'll be legitimate. Of course, I have this pesky thing called homeschooling 4 kids that keeps taking up my time!