You don’t even know.
Wait. If you are reading this, you probably do know.
Or not. I don’t even know.
It’s just hard. There’s the entire being this part of a blogger that clamors for… for… comments. For traffic. How can one build fame and renown if one can’t talk about it?
Sure, we write, but we exist in a world of people with ears and mouths. Not just screens and keyboards. But when we must interact with IRLs… how does that go?
And also, at what point did robots become more “relatable”? I kid I digress.
A blogger struggles to find a voice… A voice that he or she wants to have, but more-so… one that others want to hear. We not only want to write, we want to share that we write. WriteRight?
Yet, despite this hunger for relevance and reach… we can’t really talk about it.
Not to the hairdresser.
Not to the mechanic.
Not to the mommies at the park.
Not to the piano teacher.
Not to the barista or bartender, but maybe CoinStar.
Not to the office manager.
Not even to one’s therapist.
Why?
Because they think we’re crazy. *does The Robot*
The public thinks we’re CRAZAY.
OK, Public, you get one point.
Public, you either think we are:
- obsessed with celebrity gossip
- obsessed with our children’s genius
- obsessed with our cats
- obsessed with whining about our lives
- or something that looks like crazy, lonely and desperate.
And so what if we are? You (Public) are obsessed with *insert your thing here*, we love ours.
P.S. I am obsessed with Me. JSYK.
We (le bloggahs) are just sthpecial, becausewearealsohighlynarcissistic.
Bloggers, does the following scenario sound familiar? Let’s jump into the middle of a conversation I have had NUMEROUS times:
Random Person: So, what do you do?
Me: I’m a *insert your profession here* mom.
My Brain: Don’t do it Jenny. Don’t tell them. Just walk away. You have some really cute jeans on. Let your cute jeans have the last word… Save yourself.
Me to my Brain: But… I. I. I also blog! What a great part of Me!
My Brain: Jenny. Don’t. You have issues. Your online accepts those issues. Your IRL… notsomuch. At least not yet… Give them time. They need more TIME. *brain fires synapses madly in a desperate attempt to convice*
Me to Random Person: Iamalsoablogger. Iwriteablog. Ikeepablog. IblogbutnotlikePerezHilton. Mommy. Mommy. Blog. Humor. Vlogging. Youtube. Reviews. Twitter… #GNO!!! *gasp*
Random Person: *blinks*
Me: Uh. Yeah. Soooo. *one foot awkwardly scuffs the ground as I make eye contact with the ground*
Me: Yeahsomuch…*ahem*
Random Person: Oh. *backing away* I don’t have time for that. Celebrity gossip? I’m too busy.
What I hear: Do you shower? Do you clean your home? Do you sit on the computer all day and chat online with hot babes?
So what if I do chat online with hot babes? Jealous much? I think you ARE. *pops out hip, Solid Gold style*
You remember the Solid Gold hip-pop, right?
What about this one:
WaitWait! THIS is the one I’m talkin’ about:
My Brain: See???!!!
Me to Random Person: Yeah. Well. I just… um… People like me. I take showers. Well. I. Hrmmm. I’m just silly. I don’t. I. Silly. *muttermutter* *shift from hip to hip*
Me: I’m just gonna go take my kid to soccer practice now, m’kay?
It’s just hard.
*wipes tear*
There is this world… blogging. This part of my life. A BIG part of my life… and I can’t really talk about it…
Because it is a little bit like bad breath. It’s uncomfortable. For others.
The sad thing is, blogging is really NOT AT ALL like bad breath.
I think I am sexy.
I think it’s sexy.
Perhaps this is the new social injustice – prejudice against bloggers.
And if they (the IRLs) make us drink from separate water fountains? It’ll just feed our narcissism –> “We’re so awesome and famous, we have been given our VERY OWN drinking stations! Forget Page Rank! We have our own drinking fountain!”
Now, don’t get me started on the Twitter. You don’t even know… or maybe you do :)
***I have something new up at Mom on the Spot… It’s the story of when *we* got to deliver the Office Max box of school supplies… Oh my gosh my brain is fried. It’s a sweet Whrrl story about a teacher and a bunch of happy second graders… click here because you are a sucker for stories of such cute-ness.
**********
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Oh, man! The Solid Gold hip pop! I gotta remember that for my next IRL encounter.
You’ve hit the nail on the head here in so many ways. They don’t get us. But we rule. I learned that to some extent at BlogHer. I became more comfortable saying “I am a humor blogger” and just leaving it at that, but with an intimidating glare, as if to say, “You wanna make something of THAT?” Usually, they don’t. But, if they do, I say, give ‘em the hip pop and walk away. Our sexy jeans are sexier than theirs.
OMG — hysterical.
This is all so very relatable.
I always burb out IRL ab blogging, and though people’s words are “oh cool” … their face is all “mm-k weirdo” lol…
Ive made the executive decision not to care though ;)
It’s so true. To me, blogging is just like any other hobby and when you talk about it, it is best to talk about it with other people that share your hobby.
Most of my friends read my blog and they get it, but I can’t have deep conversations with them about Twitter and blogs, etc. It would be the same if they were knitters and wanted to talk about knitting.
That’s one reason I love my friends I’ve met through blogging. Because you can have those conversations and they GET IT. Or if you go to visit them, they’ll ask you how your heartburn is because they saw you posted about it on Twitter in the middle of the night.
yep- it’s true. We are completely unappreciated in our own time. Maybe when we’re dead we’ll have a leagcy. Or not.
I’ve often been on that edge of “should I tell them, can I trust them, do I want them to know?” and luckily, I have rarely opened my mouth, but when I have it goes over their head or lost in an eye roll.
Dude. I feel you. I’m noddin my head like yeah.
Ever feel like saying you’re a blogger is kind of like admitting you’ve been to jail for a crime? Like, “yeah, I write a blog” which is in the same tone as “yeah, I’ve done time for breaking and entering”. Only bloggers get other bloggers.
I know just how you feel. Bloggin’ cats get NO respect!
LOL, I can relate as well. Next time you’re in that situation, give ‘em the ‘Bend and Snap’ (Legally Blonde) at least then, you’ll knock them out on your way up and won’t have to explain anything else, LOL
All I have to say is “Solid Gold.” I loved that show.
Wow, you cross paths with some *special* people – everyone I tell loves the idea and is jealous! Guess you have to move to San Francisco!
Totally love this. When I first started blogging that was all I talked about with people and all I ever got was blank stares back. Now I’ve sucked most people into my blog world, but here’s a question…how do you address people who feel what you blog about doesn’t fit your blog? Yes, you did read that right. About a month or so ago I wrote a blog on a health update on myself and got attacked by a family member for veering off my blog topic of trying to conceive. Really? This is my blog and I will write about whatever I want even if it is me ranting and complaining about incompetent doctors instead of warm, smiling babies. It’s the bloggers against the non-bloggers in my opinion.
I have a similar problem when someone asks me “How are you?”. Well, i wrote about it on my blog- but of course, you haven’t read my blog, so…
I start to ramble, pretty much, exactly what I wrote on my blog to them.
Maybe it’s just me.
I totally loved Solid Gold!
My family doesn’t get it. They read but they don’t understand.
You get it.
Yep. Been there. Done that too. Blank stares and all. It’s like “Mom Blogger” is a four letter word. I hardly ever mix IRL with Online life. And when one of my two readers who are also from RL mentions something about my blog I am momentarily startled and speechless.