Today it seems routine to go to the computer and get snippets of people's lives. But don't you think a blog paints with a broader and bolder stroke, with words for more expression, depth, and insight than a status update or tweet? I do.
I understand the importance and relevance of Facebook and twitter in 2010. The vast majority of people who are interested in what I do keep track of me there. But it is only part of the picture. A really tiny part of the picture.
So I am going to commit to blogging more. Why? Because the people I know that still blog get a lot out of it, and as a result so do I. And I like being able to go back and see what was on my mind on, say, August 9, 2005.
The short list that follows are the blogs I still find myself going to again and again to see what is going on in the lives of those who write them. They inspire me, challenge me, humor me, educate me, enlighten me. Here they are in no particular order, and I know there are more out there that I should mention, but heck, I can blog about that later:
Reading Annie's blog continues to remind me what a great writer she is. Her sense of humor prevails in her posts about nostalgia for her early years in Ireland, enthusiasm for her art, and admiration of all things beautiful. Several, but not all, of the reasons why I married her.
My brother-in-law hit the blogging trail with all guns blazing, making it apparent from the very beginning that his keypad could produce just as good of a story as a few pints of Guinness. (Methinks the two combined create his best work.) I find myself going here a lot, to see what is going on in Wexford county with the cast of characters that have become my family, and get a window into the lives, wit and wisdom of a real Irishman.
Dave Pell is my gold standard for blogging. Smart, topical, and so well written, his blogs have always enlightened my perspective on current events while entertaining me with his razor-sharp wit. His latest incarnation, Tweetage Wasteland, is his best to date.
Victoria Smith, aka SFgirlbybay, has an incredibly gorgeous blog. It is filled with her images of the random, vagrant beauty of the everyday. What I admire about it is her eye - what she sees - and her enthusiasm and consistency in sharing it with her readers.
Evany is running neck-to-neck with Annie in the "Funniest Woman I Know" race. God Evany kills me. Smart, irreverent, and laugh out loud funny, I admire this blog for the honesty and humor in how she tackles life's little (and not so little) curve balls.
The Adventures of Lisa and Wilfredo
Lisa Congdon is the coolest and hardest working artist I know. Watching her art and her projects unfold on her blog always inspires me to do my best work, and keeps me thinking fresh. In addition to admiring her artwork (we have a few of her paintings), her work ethic and humility in her success have inspired me for a few years now. And check out her other project - A Collection A Day. I really don't know how she does it all so well.
We are all grown-ups, right? BA's sense of the absurd, married with his uniquely weird ability to find some of the oddest bits on the web, always give me a laugh. Or a shutter. Or both.
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Thanks to all of you for putting your words out there for all to see.
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