Why Blog?

This past weekend, Merle and I had lunch with friends he’s known since high school. We have only recently reconnected with them after about 15 years of no contact. That’s what Facebook can do for you, I guess.

One of our conversations was about traveling. We shared our past trips, and those that we are hoping to enjoy after retirement. One of the trips I told them about was a trip to Zambia that I hope to share with a friend who lives abroad. Their first question was “How do you know her?”

The fact of the matter is that I know her through blogging. I read her comments on a blog. I went to her blog, and followed it. We exchanged comments, then emails. We have now met in person, and she stayed with us for a few days when she was in the U.S.

Our friends were stunned. “You read blogs? Meet people through blogs? You had someone you’d never met stay at your house? How did you do that?”

Well, of course if you compare the date of my last post to the date of this post, I think it would not be accurate to say that I am writing (or reading) blogs. I have let that part of my routine go over the past couple of years. I have been on facebook-a lot-and have filled my time watching movies and posting photos to Instagram. Even with all of the time that I spend online, I have not been to the wordpress site. I wasn’t sure my password was even still active.

Our conversation started me thinking about my blog. I realized how many people I got to know through blogs. Not only my future travel companion, but several others who I think of as friends, and whom I may or may not have met in real life.

There is Yael, who lives relatively nearby, and who accompanied me to the Women’s March last January. We still have lunch every few month. And Jocelyn, who teaches in a city just a few hours away. Jono also lives just several hours north of my home. Then there is Mark, the Idiot (his term, not mine), who had dinner with us when he visited here with his son on a trip to various Major League Baseball stadiums.  I originally met all of these folks through their blogs. We stay connected through facebook now. I think only Jocelyn regularly blogs now.

I also met Rusted Granny in real life when she flew here and stayed with us for a few days. And by flying here, I mean she flew her plane to a small airport just a few miles from our home. I haven’t kept in touch with her for a while now. She was fighting cancer then, and I think she focused on that rather than blogs.

There were many others who I connected with through blogs, but have never met. When I followed their blogs, I felt as though I knew them. A Canadian citizen living in Ukraine with his Ukrainian wife, as the Russians threatened the country.  A blog for “elders” who, despite being deemed old or out of touch, were still very active in the world’s events. A woman from San Diego whose photos showed her amazing eye for colors.  A gardener/musician from Pennsylvania who paired those two hobbies with amazing photos of her flowers and music. The list goes on.

As I have thought about this after our lunch conversation with friends, I realized that I miss this. I miss the community of blogging. I miss meeting people by reading their stories. I miss the exchange of comments, the online cocktail party atmosphere of getting to know each other.

As I write this, I realize that many of the people I met through blogging are no longer here. I have not checked their sites today, but the last time I looked, many of them are like me, and have not posted in many months.

That’s sad. I feel as though I have lost friends. But I’ve decided that I am going to get back into the party. I am sure that there are many others who may have come to the party a bit later, or will be arriving soon. I am looking forward to making the rounds once more. If we haven’t connected in a while and you are still out there, please leave a comment. We need to catch up!