Was there a time before Elmowrites? (For that matter, was there a time before this tantrum, Sebastian?)
According to WordPress, it’s only 3 years since I started this adventure in blogging. My anniversary passed on Saturday. My opening post was little more than an introduction, and I feel I’ve come a long way since then. I had a blog before, but it was a quiet one for family and friends; with Elmowrites I entered the wider blogosphere and the friends I’ve made, the critique I’ve received and the sense of community here has made that feel like a fantastic change.
We’ve come a long way in three years, and like most parents, I can hardly remember a time before this baby was born. But a couple of weeks ago I caught a rare glimpse when I visited some old lawyer colleagues at their new firm. For the first time in a long time, I thought about life before Sebastian, elmowrites and cats (roughly 2, 3 and 4 years respectively). It was nice to see my old friends, to catch up and see how they were getting on. Facebook (Twitter, Linked In…) has pros and cons – it keeps us in touch with people we might otherwise have lost, but it also makes it easy to neglect the effort required to make friendships real. The blogosphere has given me some lovely online friendships – friendships that have made this expat SAHM feel a lot less isolated by circumstances, but I’ll be honest here and say there’s nothing like sitting across a real table, talking with your voice not your fingers and having someone steal your chips.
Think about making real contact with a friend today – picking up the phone, sending a letter or email that isn’t posted on a wall for all to see … or, as my latest baby would say “Mama, Cuddle.”
elmowrites 
Everything about this post resonates with me. I started my blog in 2009 and remember my first post was thinking about retirement.
Working, and trying to write in my spare time, gave me precious little chance of meeting people at writer’s groups or other places recommended in magazines or online, for writers to meet up and gain critique of their work.
I wasn’t sure that I would stay, and sometimes I have felt that everything seems to revolve around the other side of ‘the pond’ ; but I have come to cherish the great sense of community I have found in this strange blogosphere and I can dip in and out as time permits, and meet people like you.
Best wishes
Dee
Wellthe people like me are pleased to have you!
I completely agree, Jen, that nothing replaces real life contact. For me, blogging has facilitated that in some cases. I’ve met people in person whom I wouldn’t have met were it not for blogging. I do try to resist letting blogging or the internet take over my life and sometimes it seems a life-and-death struggle. 🙂 But I also love the community I’ve found through blogging.
I’m glad you’ve had time to catch up on real, adult relationships. They’re a good balance to the consuming parent-child relationships that are also rewarding. The balance keeps life interesting, don’t you think?
Congratulations on three years and may you have many more productive an enjoyable ones here or elsewhere in the blogosphere as well as in real life.
janet
Thanks, Janet. I haven’t had chance to make any of my virtual friendships real yet, but there’s still time!