Today is Thanksgiving in the U.S. The day we eat too much food, roll our eyes at the antics of our extended family, and think about all the things we’re grateful for. Or in my case, see if I can sneak in my NaNo (National Novel Writing Month) words for the day while everyone else is doing their post-turkey nap in front of the football game.
This Thanksgiving post is now an annual tradition on my blog. Two years ago, I revealed that the best reason for me to blog is all of you. Last year’s post reiterated that point with my gratitude for all the friends I’ve made via blogging and social media. And gee, what a surprise! All of you are still the best reason to blog! *smile*
I know many recent articles across the writing community blogisphere have questioned whether or not blogging is worth it. The cries of “blogging is dead” echo every couple of months. We look at our page view numbers and wonder if the time we spend writing blog posts could be better used on our other writing.
Those are all legitimate concerns. For some people, blogging isn’t worth it. They’re doing it out of obligation rather than an internal desire to express themselves via a blog.
Just as some people are more Twitter-people than Facebook-people or vice versa, some people aren’t blogging-people. Maybe they prefer Tumblr or Pinterest or another way to form connections.
I happen to enjoy the blog-length format, I love sharing things I’ve learned, and I value the real conversations possible in blog comments. When I ask questions at the end of a post, I truly want to know what others think, if they have differing viewpoints, or if they have further insight I hadn’t considered. The ability to have longer discussions about issues in the comments here, or at other blogs, is a big part of blogging’s draw for me.
The important thing—the thing I’m grateful for—is those connections. While I’ve made plenty of friends on Twitter and Facebook too, the relationships here, or on the blogs of others I admire and respect, stand out more in my mind as being just a bit deeper.
But if it weren’t for you, I’d be sitting here typing to myself, and those connections wouldn’t exist. So I’m most grateful to you and the special meaning you bring to my life. Thank you! *hugs internet*
Happy Thanksgiving to my U.S. readers
and Happy Thursday to everyone else. *smile*
Is there anything special you’re grateful for this year? When you think of friends you’ve made online, do some methods of connecting feel deeper to you? Which ones? Have connections you’ve made via Twitter or Facebook spilled over onto blogs or vice versa?
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