Aliens in the Apple

Disclaimer

Franci 2 Oct 2015 Blogging Blogging Family Family

I was recently talking with Ben about a blogger whose blog I follow. I really respect her and appreciate her blog immensely, but the frequency with which she puts out quality blog posts about stuff they’ve done or made, and about the amazing things they do in their homeschool was making me feel like she must be some super woman. And then I remembered… we bloggers only show you the stuff that we choose to show you.

So, here’s my disclaimer:

You don’t see the bad attitudes, the melt-downs, the fussing (of both children and adults),

you don’t see our bad habits,

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you don’t see our messes, our failures, our disrespect, our selfishness, our brokenness.

We do this partly because the daily and the mundane just doesn’t seem worthy of sharing, and partly because here on our blog we’ve chosen quite deliberately not to share mopey stuff. Sure, I’ve been tempted numerous times to have a moan about how hard it can be do be far from family, or the challenges of homeschooling, or whatever. And I might even write about that stuff sometime in the future, but I’ll work hard at it not being a rant or a complaining session. Because mopeyness encourages more mopeyness, and who wants to read a discouraging blog?

Ironically, on the other hand, a blog that always portrays only the good stuff could also be discouraging to the reader. They might think that they don’t do xyz like such and such a blogger does, so they must not be good parents, or homemakers, or that they’re not giving their children what they need, or whatever.

Also, we keep this blog alive for the main purpose of staying in touch with lots of people we love who are spread all over the world. We don’t really fit a blogging theme of “homeschool blog” or “theologically thoughtful blog” or whatever. We’re just sharing what we’ve been up to, some of the stuff we’re reading or thinking about or experiencing. Now that the weather is cooling down and we have a more structured daily life, we actually do fewer exciting things and you might see more thinky posts. If I get time to write them. :-)

While we’re on that topic, what kinds of things would you like us to write about? Anything you’re burning to know, or might find helpful? Let us know!

Comments (3)

evaholder 2 Oct 2015 at 11:05am

Hmm, maybe I should write a disclaimer for my blog — something like “the-far-from-perpetual-holiday-of-a-Tennessean-in-Vienna.” : )

Hilary Eshelman 2 Oct 2015 at 11:48am

Everyone prefers to put their best foot forward, whether in person or on line. And it gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling to share your joys and discoveries, even from a distance. Your reluctance of posting “mopey” (and I love that description) blogs is quite understandable. Mopey-ness by itself is depressing, and just a bit tedious. But when written with insight, honesty, and a touch of wit (all attributes of your blogging), the not-so-“happy-happy-joy-joy” posts are like the vinegar in a salad dressing. Without the sourness, the dressing is blah and flat and the salad has no flavor.

Lillian 2 Oct 2015 at 12:36pm

I want to see a blog that Marica has written…..