Dear Friends,
I am figuring out that, while I DO write quite a lot about my family, I get very emotional about topics I care so much about. If you came here and started reading on, say this day, you might be taken aback by what I wrote yesterday.
The thing is, I usually try to keep my "big feelings" (that's mommy code for "temper tantrums") out of my blog. I will occasionally bitch and whine about this and that, but for fear of making my guests feel uncomfortable, or worse unwelcome, I don't normally go there. But here's the deal: there is something that happens to me every four years. Something you have yet to witness here on my blog. I get very heated about politics. I believe strongly that it's not just politics, it's personal, and I take it that way. I try, oh, how I try, to keep my tongue, to speak civilly, to keep myself from getting heated over a hot topic, but I can't. It's physically impossible for me, and if I'm going to talk about it at all, I will not, no, CAN not hold back.
In the interest of keeping my in-real-life friendships (and some family relationships) intact, I have in the past, had to just forego talking politics altogether. I wish, OH HOW I WISH, that I could just make the wise choice and simply smile and say "well, I guess we just disagree", and believe it, and go on my merry way. But if I were to even open my mouth, just that tiny bit, I wouldn't be able to help myself, and you would get hit with a torrent of passionate, hard-wired Democratic thinking, and well, shoot, there goes the neighborhood pot luck. I'd never get asked back.
So that's one reason I'm thinking of starting another blog in addition to this one. One where I could rant and vent, and not offend those of you who come here to check in on my amazing family. What do you think? You could come here, get your dose of the antics of Joe-Henry and my spectacular kilt wearing hubby, and if you were brave, or like-minded, and wanted my opinion on politics, you could go to one of these blogs (these are the names I'm toying with).
beeinherbonnet.blogspot.com
undiesinabundle.blogspot.com
flingingjello.blogspot.com
Or is the Ass out of the bag on this? Should I just keep it all here, in one messy package? If you are a reader who just likes to hear about my take on parenting a seven year old while navigating the white waters of menopause, would you be willing to put up with me for another few months? Because once the election is over, I'll probably shut up about all of this.
But I make no promises.
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10 comments:
I think you've gotta be who you are, sweetheart, which I would do right here. Being a Mommy doesn't mean you don't have opinions on the rest of the world, or the right to discuss them wherever you choose. Your humor, good nature, and passion for life and people—and your clear, strong, undeniably female voice—are the reason the rest of us adore you. And I like the idea that this one blog represents all those sides of you.
But—of course—the choice is yours. I will follow where you lead :)
I wholeheartedly agree with Kari: it doesn't offend me in the slightest if your accounts of life, motherhood and music are sprinkled liberally with political rants and vents.
Please note that my use of the word "literal" in that sentence was a conscious subliminal message.
In all honesty, though, I'd probably still be a faithful reader if you suddenly began ranting and venting about Obama, although I'd keep a glass of scotch and a stack of Tums close by.
But one of the things I utterly adore about you is your honesty and integrity and eloquence: that's independent of political belief. That's just YOU, my dear. The end.
So write on, wherever YOU feel most comfortable. I'll follow.
P.S. I guess this is as good a time as any to confess that I also wrestled with the where-to-blog challenge, and ultimately decided to carve out a new tiny corner of the blogosphere for thoughts that seemed too wildly out of my place and context in my old bloggy home. So there's that.
As I said: you've got to write wherever you feel most comfortable. Big hugs to you...
I don't even think I have to comment on this one, because you already know what I think.
But I will comment, because I love you and you specifically asked a question. Speaking purely selfishly, I vote for keeping it one blog, simply because I care about your family AND your political beliefs, and adding another blog to read makes my shoulders sag just a bit, since I can't keep up as it is.
With that being said, I WOULD add an additional blog of yours to my visits (which used to be daily, but now are slightly less frequent, due to my lack of leisure reading time).
Your blog is yours, and I don't think you should curtail yourself to meet the needs of whoever comes here. But that's just me.
And as a side note, what the hell is this about Franklin having another secret blog? You got some splaining to do when you show up here tomorrow, missy.
Not gonna bother me one way or 'tother! I'm still readin'.
I wrote about this specifically the other day. It's scary to put it out there to the people you deal with on a daily basis, because I, like you, would have a problem not keeping my mouth shut. But if it makes YOU feel more comfortable to have a second place to voice those opinions, then do it. I enjoyed your ranting the other day. Made my day...but then again we are on the same side of the game.
So bottom line, do what makes you happy. I'll come visit the new one if that's what you decide. (I personally like the flinging jello name - or throwing jello - whatever it was!)
I'm with everyone else on this. I think you have to be true to yourself and your passions and your beliefs. No one has to read it but aren't you lucky people do! Hardly anyone reads my blog yet, but I figure it's taken you awhile to find faithful readers, so I do it for myself for now and I write whatever the heck I feel like writing.
I actually ended a friendship on Friday because my friend said she was so excited that McCain chose a woman that she was probably going to vote for him. So I flipped out and said "we need a time out.."
Speak your truth! Love you Annie!!
Write what you write, be who you are. I don't think you can or should worry much about who you're driving away; you just stick with your authentic voice and you'll attract those you're supposed to.
Oh, and thought you'd like to know: while standing in line at the concession stand before going in to watch Dark Knight with the little woman, I listened to a father in line behind us calmly explaining to his three children why exactly he believes that Barack Obama is an evil person, just like Bill and Hillary Clinton.
You raise some really good concerns -- chief among them being whether or not folks who disagree with you will feel comfortable if you use this place to sound off on opinions that you hold that they might not.
I agree that you need to be you and you need to blog about what matters to you.
I don’t think it’s possible to segregate content online if, by segregating, you intend to limit your posts to an exclusive audience who agrees with you. There are no secrets on the Web. Everything will eventually out. Just ask the CEO of Whole Foods.
That said: This morning I pulled down two posts on detritus re Palin because I realized my vitriol got the better of me and I broke a rule I try to abide by when I blog: No Snark. I think snarkiness is a cheap emotional short cut that challenges your readers to be with you or against you. It’s an easy way to vent, but there’s rarely a reasoned argument behind snark. It seldom offers insight or a new perspective.
I think you have some real opportunities to win folks over with your case for why you believe what you believe. And I do think we need to be actively recruiting. Especially after the 2000 election when I watched the whole clusterf*ck unfold and thought smugly “after 4 years of Bush they’ll be begging for a Dem”. Well, yes. But the damage is more, really, than any of us can bear.
Give ‘em hell, sugar.
I think you stay right where you are. We need to be ourselves. I am trying to do it more on my blog (despite being a liberal democrat, with a conservative republican MIL whom I adore and whom reads my blog). It is hard, but I decided that if I can't be myself - then why am I blogging?
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