Top Ten Tuesday is a Weekly Meme hosted by the gals over at THE BROKE AND THE BOOKISH. Every week it's a new literary theme song. This week, in honor of B and B's one year Blog-O-Versary, we're to write the Top Ten Reasons Why I Like Being A Blogger.
Coincidentally, my one year Blog-O-Versary is coming up in July, so this subject is now very near and dear to my heart. (I'll be having my own little Thank You Giveaway next month - so stay tuned for that.) In the meantime, be sure and check in at THE BROKE AND THE BOOKISH to see what other bloggers are saying about this week's theme.
In the meantime: here are my very own TOP TEN REASONS WHY I LOVE BLOGGING.
Reason Number One: To be frank, I love talking about books and films and art and anything else that strikes my fancy, mainly because I'm the sort of person who enjoys giving my opinions about anything and everything (even if no one asks) so I like to think that blogging was practically invented for me.
Reason Number Two: I enjoy being part of an online blogging community which has shown itself to be a welcoming place of writers and opinionaters who not only enjoy talking about their favorite books, films and whatnot, but are ready, willing and gracious enough to accept the work of this new kid on the block. (Even a year in, I still feel 'new,' still 'feeling my way.') I mean, who am I? I wondered at the beginning if anyone would care enough to want to read what I had to say about anything. But it turns out that people are liking what I do and let's face it, acceptance is a very soothing balm.
Reason Number Three: I am thrilled to meet and greet other bloggers with similar interests online, while hoping that at some point in the future, we will actually get to meet in 'real' life. But if not, the truth is that just from reading their blogs, I already feel as if I know many of these bloggers. The question is: Who knew there were this many fun people abroad in the world? People who love the same sort of esoteric things I do? Surprise!
Reason Number Four: Reading the work of other bloggers has sparked my imagination and broadened my own horizons. Books only vaguely lurking on the periphery of my mind have now captured my attention and inclination. Mount To-Be-Read has reached Matterhorn proportions! Books I might never have seriously thought about reading are now regularly brought home from the library by yours truly. And while some have been duds, others have have been true 'finds'. Needless to say, it has been a humbling experience as well since I'd always thought of myself as being a pretty well-read person. Little did I know.
Reason Number Five: I am such a lover of vintage books and films and I am so thankful that blogging has put me in touch with the most delightful people who share this love of mine. Go figure. Hey, if you thought at any time in your life that you were unique - blogging will quickly disabuse you of this notion. And this is not a bad thing. Entirely. Ha!
Reason Number Six: Blogging helps me - one of the most scatter-brained people I know - to necessarily focus my attention on one book, one subject, at a time. It also helps me, a person already burdened with 'old lady memory' to keep more of what I read active in my brain for a longer period of time. (Just don't expect miracles.) Blogging helps me compartmentalize which, I think, can be a very good thing.
Reason Number Seven: Blogging about films has also put me in touch with film lovers who, at the drop of a film-sprocket, will recommend their favorite movies - some of which I have never heard of before and can't wait to dial up on Netflix. Not only that, but reading some of the in-depth movie recommendations has taught me a thing or two or three about movies - known or unknown - that I had just never stopped to think about before. In a way, it's a brand new world out there even if you are mostly talking old movies.
Reason Number Eight: I can be as nerdy or as bookish or as eclectic as I like and there will always be someone out there who will, in general, know what I'm talking about. And while all this 'talking' is going on, most importantly, I am exercising my writing chops. I do enjoy writing and blogging is a way of writing every day because if you're not writing, you're not a writer. Wise words I saw on a blog somewhere. (Didn't say my memory was now perfect.)
Reason Number Nine: I like hearing from authors I've written about. When this first happened, I was thrilled. I've worked with authors before, so why I was so taken aback that any one of them might read my blog and make a comment, I don't know, but I was. Either they post a comment or contact me by email and of course, I think of this as a real perk because when it comes to books, I can be a total groupie. Ha!
Reason Number Ten: I know next to nothing about computers and what they can and cannot do. When it comes to this thing with a screen sitting on my desk, I am hopelessly over-matched. The littlest kindergartener knows more about computers than I do. And yet, here I am. I have a blog and I am managing it day to day - well, with my brilliant daughter's help and much hand holding it's true, but hey, I'm still here. Blogging forces you to learn technical stuff even if you had no mind to learn anything remotely technical going in. Blogging FORCES you to learn new things. That can't be all bad. Ha!
