Evolution of a Blog
Arden's Day began in the summer of 2007 - it was never intended to be what it has become.
There have been two moments in the evolution of this blog that I see as pivotal. The first came after I became disenchanted about blogging. I was certain that there were plenty of people in the world doing what I was and that the community didn't need my voice. This feeling came to me after I read a number of blogs during 'Diabetes Blog Week' and saw many similarities between my writing and the other people participating in blog week.
I did stop writing for a short while, but I missed it so much.
When I realized how much I missed writing and contributing to the diabetes community, I searched for a way to share that I didn't think was repetitive.
Things were going along just fine until one day a reader told me something that changed everything...
I was speaking on the phone with a mother when she told me that sometimes she can't read the blog because it made her feel badly about how she was handling her child's diabetes.
I was momentarily confused, but she went on to explain that when things go right for us it can magnify when things go wrong for her. In short, hearing about good things sometimes made her feel like failure.
Well, that was about the most debilitating thing that I could have heard, but I understood. I gave that conversation a great deal of thought and then began to share everything, even the moments that made me feel like a failure.
These two moments have shaped everything that I've done here on Arden's Day, they transformed my writing and they are the only reason that my book is well received. Saying that I am grateful doesn't begin to cover it. Two moments, two people that opened me up to a part of myself that I was ignoring - it changed my life.
If you like this blog, you have Diabetes Blog Week and a mother who wasn't afraid to say that she felt like she was letting people down, to thank for it. Makes you wonder, doesn't it? Who or what are you effecting and where will it all lead?
What Diabetes Blog Week Means to Me
Last night after Arden's softball game she and I took a walk to the water ice truck to get Arden a cold treat. At the same time, Cole was two towns away getting ready to play in a baseball game. Arden and I were rushing a little bit so that we wouldn't miss too much of Cole's game. As we made our way back to my car I stranger stopped me. She reached out her hand sheepishly and said, "Hi, you don't know me but I know you" and then she introduced herself. She continued, "I read your book and I wanted to tell you...". The rest of what the stranger said was wonderful to hear. She loved the book and made some touching comments about my writing.
About an hour later Arden asked if she could get something from the snack stand, we were now a considerable way from home and on a different baseball field, watching Cole play. When Arden returned from the stand she gave me my change and told me, "The woman at the stand asked me if my name was Arden, when I said yes she said that she loves your blog and reads it every morning". Arden went on to tell me that the nice woman (Hi if you're reading!) explained that her son was playing on the other team and that he had type I.
A woman in the stands must have overheard Arden because as we were bolusing for her pretzel, the woman began to tell me that she also wears the OmniPod. We spoke for some time about insulin pumps, type I and Arden's DexCom G4.
What does any of this have to do with Diabetes Blog Week?
Arden's Day will be six years old this summer, and my being published is in large part due to the fact that I write this blog. When I began blogging I never imagined that I'd be giving a woman insulin pump advice at a ball game, or that the concession mom in a town I've never visited before would make a point of stopping in here to see what was going on. I certainly never expected to be the author of a book. But yet, here I am and I have Diabetes Blog Week to thank.
A number of years ago, the first time that I wrote for DBW, I was under whelmed by the pieces that I produced. They seemed boring to me and repetitive. I hated that I didn't have a voice of my own. It felt like I was just dictating my experiences - the writing lacked personality, my personality. I almost let that feeling deter me from blogging, almost - but I really wanted to participate in blog week. It was then that I found the style that I have written in since. Today, I write the way that I speak, I follow the pentameter of my voice and tell stories that originate from the deepest and most private depths of my heart.
I really did almost stop writing this blog one day many years ago. Diabetes Blog Week kept me going.
This past week has been crazy around here. I've been learning how to budget my writing time better because I've accepted some freelance work (That I can't tell you about just yet - sorry), I'm trying to support my book release and there is talk of me making an appearance on TV. Busy, busy... in a good way but not in a way that allowed me to blog this week - which made me sad. I thought every day about DBW and felt terrible when I realized that I wouldn't have time to participate this year.
I hope that you have a great weekend, that you were able to check out lots of diabetes blogs this week and that something that you read or wrote for it... changes your life.
Diabetes Blog Week 2013
Diabetes blog week is the reason that I didn't give up on blogging a few years ago when I began to feel like my voice was necessary in the community.... so I love it!
You can (and should) find out more about Karen Graffeo's wonderful creation at this link. I'll be doing my best to keep up with the topics next week... Here is the list of topics from Karen's blog: