Well, they were mostly my people. The lady behind me in the coffee line talking on her cell about all the "special angels" around her in the hotel - she might have more a second cousin on my ex-step-brother's side. My daughter, for one, was decidedly not angelic on the flight home... but I'm getting ahead of myself.
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| She looks sweet here. Don't let her fool you. |
And while I don't want to start this off on a down note (ha!), this was the session I was most excited about and the only one I ended up feeling a bit meh about after. Due in large part to that fact that I had also gotten up at 4 that morning, had checked into the hotel a mere 15 minutes before the session started at 3:30 (math whizzes will note that was Travel Hour 11.25), and then spent most of the time trying to keep The Girl's hands out of other people's purses. There were some folks there that wanted to start a blog so a lot of the discussion was about wordpress versus blogger, about how often they should post, and what they should post. Since my last post was spent pondering what sort of vibes I'm sending out into the universe, I'm not unsympathetic, but it wasn't quite what I expected.
My two cents, which I didn't share at the time because I was really, really tired: just do it. There's no magic formula. Share what you want, adopt monikers, reveal your name, post pictures, don't, write bad haikus, share recipes, advocate, spend your time venting and unburden your soul, or become a Happy Pretty Blog and provide good PR for the rest of us. Post as often as you want or just when you can. Write about Down syndrome, therapy, kids, dogs, toenail polish, God, politics, work, or your latest trip to Target. Or all of the above. It's your space. I don't have hundreds of readers so wouldn't be able to tell you how to snag them, but is that what you want? It's not just about the numbers. As you poke around on the internet you will hopefully find kindred souls, who make you laugh or think or cry, or maybe even all three and, if you are really really lucky, they will read your stories and enjoy them. Even the one about Target.
And then one day you might meet them in person and you'll know they're just as fun & fabulous IRL as they are on screen & you will be so very grateful you stumbled into this community.
[And you might also meet a bunch of people you've been following for forever but haven't introduced yourself to and you might freak them out a bit with your stalker-like enthusiasm so you'll resolve to delurk on more blogs. Just sayin'].
Totally unrelated photos taken with Matt's craptastic camera phone on Saturday.
Related photos, also of craptastic quality, but taken Saturday night at our little pizza party. Which I think needs to become a tradition. Am taking name suggestions - not quite BlogHer, how 'bout BloggeDs? Some of my favorite people are missing - they either didn't make it to DC or went to the banquet instead. Ah-HEM.
In no particular order: Baxter Sez, *Results Not Typical, Unringing the Bell, Big Blueberry Eyes, and Life Decanted (at lunch).
Aw. I love your blogging thoughts. So much more than the drivel that I spouted in an attempt to have 0 silent moments. If you had said all that, we could have skipped to the eating and drinking so much sooner!
ReplyDeleteI remain anon :) at least for blogging but not for facebook! Next time no darn banquet!!!! Altho the dance was a blast! Miss you bunches.... And she is sweet(if not an angel) but I didn't get to meet the boy or hubby, sigh.
ReplyDeleteAnd as for the blogging- some folks are wayyyyyy too serious,hey.
I agree ... you definitely should've said what you wrote here at the sharing session- it would've summed everything up nicely! I didn't know what to expect at the blogging session, this was the first time they had that at convention. I went mostly because I was hoping to meet other bloggers IRL :)
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for the hospitality of opening your hotel room for the pizza party and allowing us to be a part of that fun! My boy had fun with your boy and likewise with the girl children! Making that a tradition sounds great!
@Starrlife - We went to the banquet one year just to see what it was about. It's much more fun to skip it and just hang out and go to the dance afterwards!
I only started my blog because I was literally incapable of having conversations with anyone I know, when Abby was just days old. I was doing NICU updates via email and on a whim I set up the blog, so I could stop cluttering inboxes. And who knew, that people have google alerts on DS and I got a few emails and then suddenly I was linked up.
ReplyDeleteBut I've never gotten the idea that it should be More. That I should look for sponsors or a book deal or whatever. And I haven't added any new DS blogs to my reader in ages - I feel like I have a little group, and that's all I need.
I recognize that grip your boy has on his sister. Looks like handholding, is really more like handcuffs.
Your little girl is just gorgeous!! So glad to see you guys IRL! Thanks for not mentioning mine who was miserable in that same room, hiding under the table...LOL I have discovered that you can start your blog about whatever you want, in whatever way you want, and it will evolve over time into what you really want it to be. Or not. But what my blog is today is nothing like what it was when I started. I write about whatever I *want* to write about, and don't mind at all if I do. :-)
ReplyDeleteWoo hoo! SUCH fun to be with you, with the whole gang of BloggeDs! And I'll go ahead and say your girl wasn't the reason that one session wasn't more mind-blowing--it just wasn't what you and I and the other BloggeDs were looking for.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comments guys - I meant to reply but then I got busy and... yeah.
ReplyDeleteI suspect at this point no one is checking back (if anyone ever does?) but I love you all & can't wait to see you again in 2013!