As I write

It was never intentional, but since I’ve been writing a bit more lately, I suppose I had unconsciously had some guidelines in mind.  Another blogger was asked about her “rules,” and so I guess that’s what prompted me to ask myself the same question.  I didn’t know I had any until I looked.  So weird.  Just so you know, here’s what I kind of have in mind.

1.  I never write unless I feel like it.  It’s about useless to force it.  Nothing comes out.  So I skip writing altogether some days.  I know when I’m ready, I can feel it.

2.  I’ve learned I can’t write with other people around, which is why I post early in the morning before they wake up or sometimes in the middle of the day if I have a snatch of time to be home.  I just can’t concentrate. And I get grumpy.

3.  I don’t feel a bit of pressure to post anything based on a timeline.  I’m doing this simply as a way to express myself, to share memories with my kids and family, to hopefully connect with you, to illustrate how similar we are.  I don’t want to be on a deadline, to have expectations, to have anything hanging over my head.  It’s not a big deal if I don’t post anything for a few days.  I have maybe 20 or so topics that I putter around and add to a bit at a time, but I really don’t stress over when they come together.  I don’t want to put something up until I feel like it’s ready.  Sometimes they’ve sat there for weeks.

4.  I am completely 100% honest.  I don’t embellish.  I use real examples that have happened in my own life.  I read and re-read them to make sure that I’m not exaggerating or being misleading.  This is super important to me, so I try to be vigilant about it.

5.  I try to write like I talk or at least so it’s not so fancy that you tune out.  I want to use a real voice.

6.  I don’t have any preconceived ideas about what would be good lessons for you.  I just notice everyday life and wonder if there’s anything we can learn from it.

7.  I try to think about who might be reading these.  I know we’re all so different as far as stages of life, ages, places we live, religions, political views, whatever.  But I can’t help but be real, and unfortunately for some, that means integrating my core values and beliefs.  I’m so sorry if it’s ever offensive.

8.   I’m ok with being vulnerable if it helps anyone else.  I don’t like the spotlight in a crowded room, but I’m fine with sharing my thoughts in a different venue, on a more intimate level.  If it has made anyone else feel normal, ok, at peace with what they’re dealing with, then to me it’s worth it.

9.  I’m not sure I like the blog format.  I like how neat and orderly they make it for you, and I’m glad to have a separate place to keep my ideas, but I miss hearing your thoughts and stories and experiences and how we’re connected.  I feel like there’s more of a dialog on fb, and so I feel like I’m just sending words out to the wind wondering where they’re landing.

10.  I don’t anticipate these musings going any further than this.  Unless I print them up and keep them in a folder for my kids.  I guess I figure everyone could do what I’m doing because we all have our own stories.  They mean something to me because I lived them.  But I think the world is saturated enough with books with little ramblings about being a mom.  So although I keep them all in a file called Book, that’s just for safe-keeping.  Plus, how would you ever know when to publish?  There’s still tomorrow and I’d want to add what I noticed about it.