I wanted to see the product before investing more time and energy and resources. The book sits on my coffee table announcing its benevolent intentions. Yet, when I study it carefully, diligently, I notice many errors, multiple problems with layout, copy, photos, themes and concepts. Ouch!!!!
Yet, even with all those flaws, the book looks great. I have a book with my thoughts, my instincts, my photos. I have a memory book not just of things and single events, but how I felt, what I thought, how I encountered the world on those days.
When I talk to my friends about blogging, most of them don't understand. Blogging is not a habit most old folks like me pick up easily. Most old folks don't want to be bothered with frustrating details such as loading and uploading photos. I remember asking for help on that very same thing. The first posts of mine had no photos at all. After many attempts, and defeats, I finally figured out the skill of uploading photos, copy and paste, and even re-post on Facebook.
This is what blogging has done for me:
1. Opened the world. My first accidental connection was with a photographer/journalist in Australia who became a most interesting companion through the world of blogging. As of my last post, sixtyfivewhatnow had 890+followers world-wide thanks to the nod from Blogger when they nominated it as "Blog of Note".
2. Re-connected me with my hometown, with Italy, with natives and expatriates, with recipes and sites and events I had forgotten about.
3. Introduced me to experts in design, composition, food, style, politics, news...
4. Helped me find my own voice, more open and more complex than the one I had been for the last sixty five years.
5. Introduced me to poetry writing, story writing, personal writing. Until blogging came along, I had no confidence in my abilities to express my thoughts. After the first foray, I began new endeavors with a memoir blog, a language acquisition blog, a food blog, a hodgepodge blog-which is this one, and one just to capture the memories of my son who died suddenly a year and a half ago.
To say that blogging has changed my life is a bit of a hyperbole. It has given my life new meaning.
How has blogging changed your life?
I could write for the rest of today about how blogging has changed my life!!!
ReplyDeletePlease consider using BLURB to publish your blog content. I will take a few photos of the interior of my book and email to you ... do I have your email address? mine is: hdwoonie23@gmail.com
Thanks, Helen. I will look at this carefully.
Deletesmiles....i have met many wonderful people...and seen the world through their eyes....and it has def helped me to explore my creativity as well...smiles...cool on the book...i know a few that have done that...but havent myself...
ReplyDeleteBrian, check the resource that Helen talks about. I used Blogtoprint the first time, but I need to consider my choices for the rest of the books.
Deletei wrote myself out of my first marriage, a long sleep, a disjointedness of self and into a wakeful state, a second marriage and a journey toward - well, one day i'll find out what. :)
ReplyDeletelife changing, indeed. it is time and attention. it is investigation. it is voice.
xo
erin
Erin, I've known you for a long time, many life events. As I look back, familiar faces have provided such comfort.
Delete(how exciting to see it in print, rosaria))))
ReplyDeleteBlogging has encouraged me to keep writing, but in a different way. The old journalistic habits do creep back in. But then, that's part of who I am, and have been for a long time.
ReplyDeleteMostly, blogging has helped e meet some wonderful people is various and sundry parts of creation, like US, Britain, European countries, Australia, New Zealand. Those are friendships I cherish. Especially yours.
Blessings and Bear hugs as you keep adventuring.
Rob, I learned from your acuity and research skills when I began to walk on political territory. I stumbled into you and kept going, trusting your better judgement. One of these days, we need to meet for a face to face conversation.
DeleteYou are the first blogger I know who has had their blog or a portion of their blog printed. Is that done via the ad I sometimes see at Blogger or did you outsource it? Fascinating!
ReplyDeleteYour blog was not just nominated as a Blog of Note. Your blog was a Blog of Note! I still think that is the coolest thing!
I am approaching the fifth year for my blog. In the first year I found the most wonderful writing in the blog of a young law student in the Philippines. We began commenting on one another's blogs, then emailing. I learned much about his life story, of how his mother walked out on the family when he was so young. When, at Mother's Day, he sent an email saying, "Happy Mother's Day....Mom?" I replied immediately that I would be honored to be his mom. Since then he graduated from law school and is working at a good job there. Three years ago he was awarded a grant to study for two weeks at Johns Hopkins. After his conference we flew him to Oregon and he spent a week with us. What can I say? Blogging gave me my son!
Wow! Meeting and bonding so! I'm awed by this story but I shouldn't be. Many bloggers have met each other and have become great friends.
DeleteI used Blog2print, but there are many more. Helen, above, has used Blurb. Check them out.
Blogging has given me a sense of purpose after I retired. I was lost as to what to do with my time! And I've made connections with people all over the world. And also, it led me to publishing books on Kindle....when are your going to do that, by the way?
ReplyDeleteI forgot about being lost! Yes, I too was way too lost, and blogging reconnected me to a purposeful life. You've gone on and published your books. My problem is that I cannot edit mine. When I start, I keep changing so many things that complicate the process. My husband stepped in and got one year printed just to show me that the book, any book would turn out o.k.
DeleteWhat I really need is a husband who also edits. Mine, does not. (I used to edit all his major work, anyhow!)
I need one of those angels that would jump in and take it off my hands.
Eva, you and I go a long way; I'm so glad you've pushed through and got your books published.
Wonderful post, Rosaria, and congratulations on taking the initiative to publish your blog. I have played with ways of capturing my blog. I print out the actually posts and I also copy and past into WORD and save the file with the photos. I would love to more specifics about what was involved in the publishing and the cost as well.
ReplyDeleteBlogging has been a delightful experience for me. Starting the activity as writing practice and a way to capture snippets of my life, it has evolved and taken on a life of its own. In a way, it enlarges my life. When I start to write, I have some little observation in mind but as I write, it grows and develops and I am left with something much richer and grander than I anticipated! I surprise myself. My blogging energy ebbs and flows but the encouragement of blogging friends I have made along the way keep me going! Brava to you!
My husband who was afraid that my blog would disappear from the Internet had me publish my blog from the start. I publish it every 6 months and I have 7 books so far – my posts are long so a book every 6 month is large. I use Blog2print. When I retired I knew I would have no friends locally because I worked in a corporation mostly with men and had not much in common with them. I have made friends through blogging and met some of them – went all the way to Norway to meet some. It has given me an interesting hobby – a way to be and feel connected. Yes, it certainly has made a difference to my life.
ReplyDeleteHaving it printed! How exciting is that!! I never thought about doing that but I would love to print my blog after I have been blogging for a few years. I'm still new to it but I have found I love coming on here to post about music,photos and some poetry. I'm use to message boards and am no stranger to meeting people. On blogger you find a world of other people that bring so much talent and is helping me find myself too!
ReplyDeleteBlogging has been a great adventure for me too. I had no idea what I was getting into when I started. I've met wonderful people (much like yourself:), learned a whole lot, and enjoyed great conversations among the comments with readers.
ReplyDeleteLove the idea of a memory book. I may have to give it a try!
Blogging has changed my life in ways I never imagined. It has opened doors of understanding about myself and others. It has helped me through the loss of my daughter. It has given me many friends. It has helped me gain a stronger writing voice. Like you, I had no idea how much blogging would enrich my life.
ReplyDeleteI want to get my blog published into a memory book also. Did you include comments in yours? Which company did you use?
I have used blog2print for the last two years to print my blog for the year. I love the record of my writing. I chose not to include comments in what's printed, so the printout doesn't reflect the relationships established with people all over the world, which is one of the best parts of the experience.
ReplyDeleteMaintaining a blog is a discipline. It keeps me writing and reading. And that is a very good thing.
Rosaria, many of the reasons you give for loving blogging ring bells with me too. I haven't been blogging for anywhere near as long as you, but it has enriched my life immeasurably with new skills and interests and above all with new friendships and contacts with people from all over the world.
ReplyDeleteIt's never occurred to me to have my blog printed out, and I'm not sure if there is a UK firm which does this. I have all my posts safely stored on my computer, as I never blog straight into Blogger. I also have all the photos I've use stored offline too, so could reconstruct my blog if it ever disappeared. Just to be sure, I keep a private back-up copy on WordPress, which I could publish if Blogger ever imploded. :-)
I think I wanted to write for my own enjoyment and hopefully bring a smile to others. It has been a joy and sense of satisfaction to me for five years now....:)
ReplyDeleteRosaria, I am in awe of this. Yours was one of the first blogs I found and followed and it's moving to read the progress of your journey. Of all your important points I most relate to #4. I feel blogging has done a lot to help me find my voice. i am grateful for that, as well as it leading me to the doorstep of remarkable and inspiring people such as you.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on publishing part of SixtyFiveWhatNow. It is greatly missed, but will live on in a different form.