Oh, let me count the ways.
Mama Kat wants to know what blogging means to me and why I do it.
Well, lotsa stuff of course!
I love to blog because, um, well because, um. Hmmmm….
Because I just do I guess. Jeez.
My blog is not some deep, existential manifestation of my life.
It is not a way for me to work through my inner demons. It’s not an exploration. It’s not an adventure.
I don’t intend to find my soul or develop my passion.
You won’t be inspired, you won’t be motivated, and, based on Google Analytics, you probably won’t even come back.
But if you do, you will laugh. Long and hard. Not always, but often.
Because I’m funny (we all have our strengths and, as this happens to be my ONLY one, I’d appreciate it if you’d just go with me here, um kay?!).
Not intentionally funny (although I am intentionally NOT unfunny).
But funny all the same.
Some people are just naturally that way.
I’m one of those people.
In real life.
And, in blog life.
When people ask, I like to say I’m a freelance writer* humor blogger.
A humor mommy blogger, I guess, with emphasis on the mommy humor.
And I get up everyday and spread a little funny on the Internet because I’m desperate to have people like me I like to.
But there are other things that motivate me to wake up early and go to bed late in order to craft perfect posts, designed to make you laugh at yourself me.
1. I like to share. Not money, or clothes, or my special fudge candies that I buy and hide from The Dudes and Dumb Dad. But other stuff. Stuff about me.
2. I like being adored. And, the blog allows other people to give me the daily adoration that I require. Before I started blogging, I felt unfulfilled in the receiving of adulation department. The Dudes and Dumb Dad just weren’t giving me the positive reinforcement I needed to bring the awesome. I’m much happier (and, incidentally, more awesome) now, which is definitely how it should be.
3. I like to write.
4. My kids are cute. This is also the catalyst behind the launch of my photography business. Eventually, however, my photography website became inundated with photos of The Dudes. Not wanting to appear as someone unable to land clients not related to me, I figured I needed to develop an additional outlet for the sharing of their cuteness. Ergo…
5. It gives me a voice. It allows me to put people (you’re not off the hook yet, Kanye), places (yeah, Iran, I’m all up in your Kool-Aid), and things on my “Dummy Watchlist”. Currently, my biggest beef is with Wal-Mart, I mean McDonalds. Which sucks because Mickey Ds and I used to be cool. Real cool. And, when they added the apple sticks option to their Happy Meals I was, for lack of a better word, HAPPY! Not because we would ever really get apple sticks, just because I knew that, should I ever need to (like when super healthy PTA mom sees me with the tell-tell box at the park) I could nonchalantly allude to the fact that the kids “love the apple slices”. That’s handy. But now they’ve gone and ruined things between us with their “value meal” trickery. I mean why is it that if I order the bigger-than-a-regular-human-needs Sweet Tea off of the dollar menu it only costs a dollar, but when I sub it into my “value meal” it costs $1.69? Why is that McDon? Why? Is? That? It’s not like you give me more tea to actually increase the value of my meal, so why am I paying more for it? That’s what I’d like to know. And, that’s why I have a watchlist; so Kanye, Iran, and McDonalds don’t slip under the trying-to-trick-people radar. Save your money; order a la carte.
So basically, what it all boils down to, is that first and foremost, I blog for adoration.
Everything else is secondary.
Except for voting in my photo contest (clearly marked by the words VOTE! VOTE! VOTE!) placed in my sidebar. Your friends will love you for it I’m pretty sure!
*I am a freelance writer too, for magazines and newspapers and stuff, but mostly I am a blogger. Not just here, but over at the local magazine too. I just have a hard time explaining it still because people are stupid just don’t get it.
Very last sentence… YES!!!!!
That’s why I blog to. I like it. I don’t really know what else to say about it or why I like it, but I do.
Plus it has allowed me to meet some really awesome people. Not in real life yet, but in my computer, but still. Really awesome.
The awesome people I’ve met are a real bonus. But mostly just because they do a really good job adoring me and stuff:) Now, think about what I said on the where-we-could-meet front. I think it’s promising!
I did the same topic too and totally agree with all those reasons to blog too– I admit it I do it for the books :) and friends that I had made online makes it even more special.
I don’t get very many good books. Probably people who write books think Dummies don’t read. Be we do, totally.
I’ve been going through a crisis of blogging lately. Thanks for posting that. I’m blogging for me cuz I like it…;). Not that the adoration isn’t a plus
Crisis?! What crisis?! Let me help! I’m awesome at solving other people’s problems. It’s my own that generally present a challenge.
Great reasons! I totally do it for the adoration. ;o)
You make me laugh all day long. I come for the Dumb Mom. I stay for the Dumb Mom. I comment cause I wish you lived in my neighborhood so I could give your kids these judgey looks cause they’re probably not as well behaved or lovingly parented as my kids.
That’s actually not true. Today my two year old rubbed Old Spice Pure Sport deodorant all over her abdomen. And I didn’t care because it made her smell good.
That sounds like awesome parenting to me. My kid presented Dumb Dad with a freshly laid turd on Saturday. He found it and was proud. He smelled like something different than good. How’s that for parenting?
LOL… Yes, you do crack me up… every time I visit your blog! And analytics always get me down too… lol
I’m linking a former post today. (Just no time lately.) http://ournextchapters.com/2010/07/09/sticks-stones-words-will-always-heal-me/
Thank you for saying it doesn’t have to be MOMENTOUS. You could just like it. The first post of yours I read was the Night Before Christmas one. So. Yeah, the laughter drew me in. I think I have sent the link to the potty training posts to everyone I know.
Whatever the reason, thanks for doing it.
I have been following you on Twitter but this is my first time (no pun intended) checking out your blog. You definitely deliver humor on both ends. *insert fawning in adoration here* Humor really is the spice of life.
It totally pisses me off to pay full price on a large drink and McD’s when it’s clearly a buck a la carte, too. CHEATERS!!
New stalker…errr, follower. Have a great day!
Stalker?! I love being stalked. Makes me feel adored and clearly I’m into that. Feel free to stop by any ole time, I’m mostly always here, laying around while my kids do things they probably shouldn’t. Tweet ya later!
Ahhhhh…I love your reasons and I’ll come back because I always need a good laugh!!!
I should start every post with a joke. I’m not good at telling jokes in person, I get sweaty and anxious from the pressure of presenting the punchline. But, I bet I’d rock a joke on line. Maybe I’ll do that?! You’ll have to come back to see. And to adore me of course!
I struggled to find an answer to why I blog, but basically I guess it comes down to the fact that I like it, I’ve met cool people (online only), and it’s a creative outlet for me.
You have great reasons for blogging. I always enjoy your posts, and I secretly know how very smart you really are!!! I chose the same prompt, by default. Anyway, have a great day!
we blog of course cuz we need an outlet!
i adore you :) so your reasons for blogging are definitely being met.
i blog to speak and share me. there is so much about my life that doesn’t allow me to share me, but blogging does.
Blogging for adoration is all good! You are to ofunny and that whoel McDonalds thing…it appies to other stupid places too…Best Buy – we bought applicances there…didn’t need amicrowave (ours was new), but it was cheaper to buy something you didn’t need than to not, so now I have 2 microwaves.
You mean we are supposed to blog for higher purposes than just venting about the socks our kids flushed down the toilet or the swear words they managed to say in front of the pastor as we were leaving church?
Man I knew I was going about this all wrong!!
I adore your blog. :)
I don’t know why I blog… I love that I can chronicle my families life in a new way (not just keeping a diary), and I think it’ll be a great gift to my kids. I also crave words of affirmation… and that is probably the main reason I blog (people to confirm, that YES, I do make cute babies). ;)
I have to totally agree with you. You ARE very funny AND people ARE stupid. :-)
I just have to say, you complete me.
And you are awesome.
Sounds like a perfect reason to blog!
Love your reasons about blogging. Visiting from Mama Kat’s
Hi Dumb Mom,
I am amazed with your blog. Very out spoken and smart! I have read many funny blogs it might not be funny most of the times but yours are unusual. I have become a fan to your writing which shows your originality. Continue to post more blogs :-)
May I know how you got the name “Dumb Mom” ??????