The Balanced Blogger
by Kym on October 24, 2008
I left the house this morning, showered and dressed (in blue jeans, of all things – with an orange shirt, gasp, the horror!), prettily coiffed, and sporting my funky glasses that I wear whenever vanity allows or when, as this morning, I get an eyelash caught under my contact lens.
I left the house without putting up a blog post for the day. Specifically, without having finished putting together all my favourite blog template resources to share with you as promised.
Oh. The Guilt. (Capital G required for the sake of dramatic emphasis)
It’s a pretty common theme, this talk of the ever elusive balance. How to get what you want out of your blogging experience without becoming insanely addicted, guilt ridden, and/or completely lacking in time/energy to actually live a life worth blogging about. I often feel like a tight-rope walker, or one of those plate spinners. I’m trying so desperately to keep my balance, keep all those plates spinning.
However much I try though, every once in awhile one of those plates comes crashing down. Some aspect of my life lying shattered in pieces on the ground.
In all honesty, I’m a bit tired of breaking down like this.
I heard several months ago that there’s an estimated billion blogs out there. A billion. And yet every day approximately one hundred people peek here to see what I, a mere singular entity among the millions, have to say. It’s humbling and inspiring all in one moment. I feel like a single grain of sand on the bloggy beach, and yet, a grain that sometimes gets picked up an admired for being…I don’t know, especially grainy or something.
I’m not writing about this with any grand sum up in mind. No wisdom to offer. Nothing worth quoting me over. I haven’t got it figured out. At all. Those plates of mine are spinning like mad, sporadically shattering, and I don’t know how to stop. I don’t know how to balance myself. I tell myself one at a time. Spin this one, then that one, and so on. But it doesn’t seem to work for me. I find myself entranced by one plate’s spinning and the next one falls. Some days, they just keep on falling till I feel like my whole life is in pieces and I feel so, so broken.
All because of one stupid pretty plate entrancing me with its twirling. I get so focused on one thing. Blogging, baking, children, organizing, writing, crocheting, reading, piano and singing, attempting to have a social life, church, family, letter writing and package mailing. I can never seem to do a little here and a little there.
When did I become such an all or nothing person?
Like I said, I don’t have any answers. No brilliant insights into how to fix myself, or anyone else for that matter. I’m glad that I blog though. I’m glad that I read the offerings of my blogging friends. Because for all that I feel lost and broken, I don’t feel alone. I don’t feel adrift. I can’t get wrapped up in selfish mopings over how tough my life is, because I know I’ve got it so easy compared to so many. And I also know that so many of you are struggling in similar ways. That I’m not the only one who feels they’re always on the brink of falling.
And I love how often we catch each other.
Perhaps blogging is just one more plate I struggle to keep spinning. Perhaps certain aspects of life would be easier without the obligations, the guilt, the time required. But before it I felt so alone. So lost and adrift. You all comfort me. Anchor me.
That’s worth having to spin another plate.
24 comments
You know we love you tons. Those darned plates. I’ve got lots of them myself.
Eowyn´s last blog post..Only 2 Books!
by Eowyn on October 24, 2008 at 11:36 am. #
This blogging guilt is prevalent. I haven’t written in a few days or read my favorite blogs, but my family has needed me so my time has been divided.
It happens.
So keep spinning your plates. We’ll be around. :)
Lisa Milton´s last blog post..meet dilly and dally
by Lisa Milton on October 24, 2008 at 11:57 am. #
If I were you, I’d give up the following plates:
baking, organizing, letter writing and package mailing.
Everything else sounds fun.
Except church, but you know how that goes.
Melanie J´s last blog post..I changed my mind.
by Melanie J on October 24, 2008 at 12:03 pm. #
Why do we have so many plates? I so feel the same way. Hopefully the plates you are spinning are at least plastic … or pretty to look at :) !!
My blogging plate has been left on the floor for awhile, but I am picking up the pieces when I can.
An Ordinary Mom´s last blog post..Reasons To Celebrate
by An Ordinary Mom on October 24, 2008 at 12:09 pm. #
Spinning plates…what a great analogy. I need to drop the “tv as a babysitter” plate and let it shatter all over the place. But then that would seriously diminish my blogging time. Hmmm. Am I ready for that yet? I’ll have to think on it.
Erin´s last blog post..Superheroes Galore!
by Erin on October 24, 2008 at 12:27 pm. #
Blogging is a worthy plate to spin! I think this with this particular plate you just have to make sure you’re not worried about spinning it at a certain speed. Sometimes we think this one has to be going really fast or something.
The fabulous thing about the blogging plate is, not only is it extremely pretty, it’s plastic!!
If it drops, you can always pick it up and start again when you’ve got your more fragile plates taken care of.
Lisa´s last blog post..Photographic Prophecy Phulphilled
by Lisa on October 24, 2008 at 12:38 pm. #
I struggled with the “blogging plate” for a long time. There were women in my ward that have been very vocal about how horrible they think blogging is. At first, I fell victim to that. Their opinion matter more than the fun I was having and I started to wonder if I was doing something wrong. But, the more I look at this crazy online experience, the more I realized that it was filling a spot in my life. I don’t have friends here. Sad, but true. It’s just the way things are at this moment. And so I turn to my friends online! Sometimes there is a lot of pressure to have another post up or to get to everyone’s blog to read and comment, but, sometimes I have to skip posts. Sometimes I don’t post for a few days. I’m working to make this something fun again.
Melissa´s last blog post..
by Melissa on October 24, 2008 at 12:51 pm. #
Wait. I got stuck at the blue jeans with the orange shirt. Does that match?
(KIDDING! I am SO kidding!)
Think of the blog as the thingie that holds all those rods with the spinning plates. You need it, or the whole thing falls apart.
At this workshop the other night, the speaker said that every woman needs to know 5 things that fulfill her – things she really likes to do that define her as something other than a wife and mother – to give some depth to your life experience.
I don’t know if I have 5 things, but blogging is definitely on my list!
JustRandi´s last blog post..Friday Flair – I Heart Blog Friends
by JustRandi on October 24, 2008 at 1:02 pm. #
I bet you look FABULOUS in your blue jeans and your orange shirt! Complementary colors that totally WORK (unlike, say, purple and yellow, or red and green).
Plate spinning is a constant struggle. Dropping, crashing, picking up the pieces, and cleaning up the mess seems like part of my daily routine.
I agree with Melanie…Let the organizing and package mailing and stuff fall to the floor and keep up with the ones that elevate you!
And let me know when you figure it out…I sure haven’t!
charrette´s last blog post..Friday Fragments: Car, Taxi and Trailer
by charrette on October 24, 2008 at 1:22 pm. #
You’re so grainy. That’s why we love you!
tracey´s last blog post..Stupid, stinkin, spinning planet…
by tracey on October 24, 2008 at 1:30 pm. #
As you will be shocked to find out, I echo these feelings and thoughts. I too am thankful for spinning the bloggy plate, especially now. I love it that I stumbled across your grain of sand and found it too sparkly to pass by.
We are all doing too much, don’t ya think? I agree with Charrette and Melanie too-we’ve got to let some things go that don’t build us up to make room for the things that do. So much of it is a “must do” though, it’s exhausting.
I have thought THE EXACT thing about how many many blogs there are and that a number of people would want to check out mine daily absolutely blows my ever lovin’ mind.
I bet you looked hot in those jeans.
Heather of the EO´s last blog post..Anger Everywhere
by Heather of the EO on October 24, 2008 at 1:50 pm. #
“When did I become such an all or nothing person?”
(See, you ARE worth quoting!)
I have such a huge problem with this. I feel so overly compelled to finish whatever I’ve started that other things get neglected. And if it’s absolutely necessary to leave a project or task incomplete, I’m anxious the entire time I’m doing something else because of it. I wish there was a way to just stop feeling anxious, but I guess if there were, no one would be having problems, right?
Becky´s last blog post..Why we moved to the best state in the Union
by Becky on October 24, 2008 at 3:15 pm. #
I love the new look first of all.
Second of all, I’m imagining all the internal conversations you had this morning about your un-matching wardrobe and it’s cracking me up,
third – if you ever figure out the whole balance thing, let me know.
MomBabe´s last blog post.."Settling"
by MomBabe on October 24, 2008 at 3:46 pm. #
Honestly, I think blogging is today’s solution for the social networking moms used to do in person. They would do things together or just visit each other and eat stuff that they baked and help each other hang out the laundry or whatever. The world is so different today and I think that blogging is the way that woman are staying connected to each other. Too bad you can’t do it and hang the laundry or bake bread at the same time. That’s the trouble . . ..
Heidi Ashworth´s last blog post..Miss Delacourt Is In The House!!
by Heidi Ashworth on October 24, 2008 at 4:02 pm. #
Kim, you’re so profound! I can’t believe you’re my friend. Superb Analogy Superb… I’ll say it again, Su-Perb.
Wow, it looks weird hyphenated like that.
I agree with Heidi there, it would be fantastic if we could do this while doing laundry, and baking bread – wait… who bakes bread????? May I have some, please?
Abra´s last blog post..JUST FOR KIM of Temporary Insanity?…
by Abra on October 24, 2008 at 5:33 pm. #
The key to life is balancing all the plates!
david mcmahon´s last blog post..These Booths Are Made For Walking
by david mcmahon on October 25, 2008 at 5:49 am. #
I’m really struggling to balance all the many things I feel like I need to do. Sometimes disappearing from the blogging world is very tempting.
Summer´s last blog post..Favorite Links Friday – Frugal Edition
by Summer on October 25, 2008 at 6:39 am. #
I love this post babe. I feel like the plates are smashing around me at the moment but I keep blogging, even though I’m struggling for inspiration right now and feel so overwhelmed and tired. Blogging is my commitment to me. It’s my little piece of sanity and my little piece if insanity. I need it, I love it, sometimes I struggle with it, but I have to keep doing it. Hugs.
Jo Beaufoix´s last blog post..Pure joy or guilty pleasure?
by Jo Beaufoix on October 25, 2008 at 2:39 pm. #
hon, i’ve let so many plates crash lately that i need an entirely new table setting. i know just what you mean–i attempt so many things, and it’s hard knowing that in order to do them all, i can only do most of them halfway.
lately i’ve let the ol’ blog take a backseat to life…i still love it, but i’m determined to not allow blogging to rob time from the people i have the greatest responsibility to/for…and that’s a healthy place for me, i think. :)
nic´s last blog post..softie doll tutorial
by nic on October 26, 2008 at 7:08 pm. #
Came from David’s – very good post. Notice you didn’t list journaling among the plates – (!) point being that it might create a brief space apart to consider all the rest holistically and simplify focus, though writing posts may do the same thing.
Must admit I’m glad I never discovered blogging when our sons were small; the way I blog, it would have made life impossible!
VIRTUAL VOYAGE´s last blog post..The Journey – One Year On
by VIRTUAL VOYAGE on October 27, 2008 at 1:40 am. #
Keep the right balance,
they say.
It sounds all too easy,
but keep all those plates spinning
is never easy!
Good luck with yours, and congratulations on winning David’s “Post of the Day” award. :-)
Merisi’s´s last blog post..Venitian Blues
by Merisi's on October 27, 2008 at 1:42 am. #
You know, i’m finding it hard to get past the ‘Billion Blogs’. No kidding? I have this picture in my head of tiny circles of bloggers spreading out, like ripples on a pond, joining larger circles and opening ever wider until we are one HUGE circle of bloggers and we solve all the problems in the world and never ever fight each other ‘cos we are all blogging friends.
Course by then we will have far too many plates in the air to include activities like eating or sleeping. Hmmmm!
moannie´s last blog post..Rupert the Artist
by moannie on October 27, 2008 at 3:48 am. #
Great post. you have such a creative way to describe things. :)
You know how I feel on this subject. So much to do…so little time.
Corey~living and loving´s last blog post..At Least She Washed Her Hands
by Corey~living and loving on October 27, 2008 at 10:02 pm. #
That was beautiful.
Jaina´s last blog post..Of Deserts and Dirt Bikes
by Jaina on November 6, 2008 at 4:40 pm. #