Sunday, June 15, 2008

Afraid of Blogging

I am afraid of blogging. I have written a post almost every day, but when it comes time to hit the publish button I instead save it to draft. I am not sure why. The topics range from my desire to have a child to my recent visit with my dad. The topics are diverse, the grammar usually poor, the spelling checked and rechecked, but one thing remains constant, each post is very revealing.
In real life I seem to be an extroverted person who leaves no thought unexpressed, but in truth I am intensely private, someone who is comfortable alone. My home is not open to those who stop by uninvited, something unheard of in the friendly South. We don't entertain, instead we spend our time at home alone. But my posts are full of my thoughts, like this one. They say way too much about me. And I feel vulnerable and exposed, even in cyberspace, with a readership of two, or three.
I started blogging so that I could document our journey as we try to have a child but instead it feels as if every word I write exposes some deep and needy part of me that is better left hidden. It is strange, Helen of Everyday Stranger, a blog that I love and read religiously sent me a lovely email about writing about her twins and how she didn't want that to be painful for me. Interestingly enough, that has never been painful for me. I always thought that it was because I have had children, so I didn't feel entitled to the angst of those women who have never had a child. It is recently that have allowed myself to dream again, to see a baby and turn to my husband and say, "I want one of those".
Please forgive the misspelled words, any grammar errors, etc., because if I don't publish now, this will join all the other drafts.

7 comments:

Alice said...

Who cares about grammar, spelling and all that. Don't put those posts in drafts, I want to read them. Incidentally you sent me your private e-mail and I wanted to send you a mail to thank you for all your nice comments - but now I can't find your address.

Alice

Honey said...

echo alice,
let them loose those drafts, I have gathered so much strength just from writing and letting go, I stop worrying if I write well or not, I'm simply writing, no one has to read it after all!
and just for the record I've enjoyed reading your posts!

Melissia said...

Alice and Honey,
Thanks for the lovely comments. It is a bit humbling, as I've always been very my own written word, so to send it out, unhoned, is very awkard to me. But it is either that or not at all.
So thanks again for all the kind words.
Melissia

hairyfarmerfamily said...

Hi Melissia,
Blimey, don't worry about the spelling or the grammar - neither are crucial to an interesting post. Anyweigh, yeu seam two bee doing grate! I've found blogging so cathartic in the short time I've been writing. And so often, your family and friends just aren't clued-in enough about the rollercoaster of fertility treatment to offer the right words of support, which is where this lovely community comed into it's own. So do carry on.

hairyfarmerfamily said...

Uh, ok. There were the deliberate errors. And then there were the non-deliberate errors.

'Comed' should read 'comes'. And 'its' does not take an apostrophe.

BUGGER! You see? None of us are typo-immune! Just hit 'Post'!

niobe said...

I always thought that it was because I have had children, so I didn't feel entitled to the angst of those women who have never had a child.

This is exactly how I feel. In fact, when I post or comment, I sometimes feel worried that I'm not being sufficiently sensitive to those who are much, much worse off than I am.

hairyfarmerfamily said...

You still there, bab?