Tuesday

How Blogging found me...

Over at We are THAT family...one of my favorite reads. The discussion of 'How did you start blogging' came up...and so I wanted to tell you HOW I got here.
My father, who has passed away, was adopted with his twin sister at the age of 2 in 1947. A few years before he died, I became obsessed with finding out who his real birth parents were. My whole life he always maintained the same mantra of 'why would I want to know anybody who gave me up?'...but it was different for me. I am a history buff and I had a lifelong yearning to know my true race and family history on BOTH sides of my family. Including medical history. Something you don't realize how important that is- until say...my dad who was struggling with a cough for months before his cancer was diagnosed, who could only answer the 'is there any family history of cancer in your family?' with a "I don't KNOW. I am adopted". Perhaps if he had known....he would have been diagnosed earlier....and be here today to read my blog and laugh with me. Who knows.*
Anyways...one night while doing my numerous searches for anything relating to his adoption and birth date (3/01/1945) I clicked on a site called 'OCthen'...which as it turned out was a site with memories about Orange County from various authors...one of which was Suzanne Broughton of Emphasis Mine. I linked over to her blog and was...enthralled. I had never visited a personal blog before. Photos of her lunch? Comedy tales about her family? Links to other blogs?....I was in heaven! And so there I stayed. I commented and commented. I followed her over to the OC Register. I commented and commented. Sometimes my comments were longer than the post. Once Suzanne showcased my photography work on her blog. WOW. And eventually Suzanne e-mailed me and said 'You really should have your own blog'....The next night while up at 4 in the morning....I went to Blogger and signed up. And by 7am I had my own blog with my custom header and all.
Here is my first post. And look who was my first commenter. Yup, Suz of course! Blogging was one of the best decisions I have ever made. These are my PEOPLE. My TRIBE. Had this been going on right under my nose? People were being funny and witty and clever all around me? Were there this many people out there with the same sense of humor as me? I thought I was all alone! And now I found my home. My happy place. A place to be heard. To be validated. A place to be accepted and loved. And it gives me such peace of mind that if my glamorous world falls apart around me- I know I will always have a place to call home. A place where anything is possible. Thank you Internet. Thanks for giving me a place to be.....well, ME.
*still searching for my dad's birth family. I won't give up.

10 comments:

Chel's Leaving a Legacy said...

Wow! Our stories are very similar! That's what I have come to LOVE about blogging...I find so many women who's stories are not much different than my own!

Less than a year ago, I was doing a search on google for something, and pulled up an article on Linda's 2nd Cup of Coffee blog. Had NEVER heard of one before. I became curious and read and read and read. After reading a certain post called "King James in the Bedroom" I was totally hooked!!

I lurked there for a long time, (afraid to comment because I didn't know if I would be invading some universe I had no business invading!) but finally I did one time. And she thought I was funny!

So eventually I learned the ins and outs, and just last month started my own. I'm having the time of my life doing it, too.

Thanks for sharing your story! I think I've now been guilty of commenting longer than the post!
*wink*

Kristen said...

I love it. I love your reasons and could see myself in them. I love my TRIBE too and I love that anything is possible. I feel like I"m writing my own destiny (with God's help)!

Anonymous said...

And you wanted to major in theater arts! That English degree is coming in handy, after all!
Thanks for turning me on to 'OCthen'. I have really enjoyed it and began to realize I am even a part of it!

Fawn said...

Can't wait to meet you in the big "D".

ZONE F DG TEAM said...

Sorry to hear about your dad. I've numerous adopted cousins, though I only know of one who's found her birth mother.

Anonymous said...

I'm SO GLAD YOU BLOG! I would never have known you otherwise and well, that's just a sad thought.

Let's not go there.

Suz Broughton said...

I didn't know that WHOLE story, just part of it. I remember you first comment on (Emphasis MIne) it was "I'm new here. What's the big deal about your husband?..." It was of course much longer than that, but that was most of it.
I am so glad that I had a hand in you finding something you love. But, most of all, I'm glad I found you as a friend.

Ok, Where Was I? said...

I have just been amazed at how much fun it is to "meet" people. At first I was just like, Well, I'll try to post something and maybe someone will say, "LOL." The end. But it's (obviously) a lot more rewarding than that. And it's so much fun to find another blog that makes you go, "Oh, I must read this every day! And I could totally stalk this person in real life!"

Just kidding.

J'Ollie Primitives said...

If women heading West in their Conestoga Wagons had computers way back in the Olden Days....they'd have invented blogging.

Welcome to the 21st century version of the quilting bee. On a global scale. Pretty cool, huh?

I'm so glad you found your Tribe, I'm a happy follower.

KatBouska said...

I agree! What a great way to find people living similar lives and going through similar experiences! Blogging is oh, so much fun.

Great post!