i look at my postings for 2009. started off strong in january and february, but since then, i've posted 2-5 times per month. i have not been a very good blogger in 2009.
part of that is my crazy job. i work at a texas state legislative agency, and when the legislature is in session (jan-may of odd-numbered years), it gets crazy, with periods of high pressure and overtime and being around a lot of people who are also stressed. it throws me off balance.
to cope, i hunker down with the goal of maintaining as much equanimity and compassion as i can. i listen to my bodymind and its needs for rest, relaxation, solitude, upliftment, renewal, funny movies, in my time off work. i can't make plans due to the unpredictable nature of the session's demands, so i tend to be more socially isolated during sessions. and i neglect my blog.
after sessions, it takes awhile to feel rebalanced. i'm not sure how long, actually. months. at least all summer for sure.
the other part of not being a very good blogger in 2009 is that i haven't really had a focus. i've just posted what i like and want to share, cottoning to the whole idea of blogging for selfish motives. if i post my favorite poems, interesting articles, dreams, and so forth, then i can find them again easily on my own blog. if post something that you, the reader, connect with, yay! and if you read my blog over time, you might get a sense of what i value and therefore a sense of me. hi there!
however, i myself tend not to look back, except at the end of the year, which is a relatively new habit in my 56 spins around the sun. i've realized that writing on my blog or in my journal or taking notes at a lecture or workshop is actually a way of putting a kinesthetic anchor on an experience, since writing is a physical act. (by the way, my journal is totally longhand.) it helps me know that "i like this" and can find it again if i wish to do so. i rarely look back at what i've written, except for practical reasons--to find phone numbers, email addresses, the name of a book or poem... besides that, the other motivation for blogging is feeling the satisfaction of sharing something that in my opinion is just wonderful. my tastes are often not mainstream, my joys are often experiences stumbled upon, the people who came up with these jewels in the first place are often vastly underappreciated.
so what is a blog good for? i'd say, reaching people with a common interest, sharing what's going on with those i know and don't have a chance to catch up with, serving as sort of a mirror (hazy at best) of my life. but i haven't really had a goal, like julie powell did in her blog, julie and julia, where she spent a year cooking her way through mastering the art of french cooking, now a major motion picture starring the goddess meryl streep!
in 2009, according to the monthly blog analytics statements i signed up for, the most blog visits i received was 126, and the least was 74. that's respectable and heartening to know. and...are you ready for it?...the months with the most visits were the months with the most posts. that's very clear! post often, and more people find and read you.
there's a bunch of other data like page views, pages viewed per visit, "bounce rate" (whatever that is), minutes spent viewing, and new visitors. but the above correlation is the one that counts.
soon this blog will change. it will have a focus in 2010. i intend to post as close to daily as i can. and i will still post the great poems and interesting articles i come across. stay tuned.
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