Last night at a party, my husband tried to explain to a retired teacher who chooses not to have a computer at home why we blog.
He (enthusiastic): It’s really fun. It’s like having an online journal that you share with other people.
She (puzzled): But why have a journal that you share?
He: ….
To some people I imagine that blogging does seem completely mad. You write about your life and your interests, share it with people you’ve never met, get to know them slowly, but are still unlikely to meet any of them. How do you explain to someone who doesn’t have a computer the addictive nature of writing posts, checking other people’s posts, commenting and responding to comments? How do you explain the thrill of chancing upon a wonderful piece of writing, the frisson when a blogger you admire links to your blog, the moment of narcissism when you check your stats?
Litlove has written a fine post about what blogging has meant for her this year. I wish I could provide something as insightful, but instead because I have a fuzzy head from last night’s party, I am going to celebrate the first year of Charlotte’s Web, by stealing Stuntmother’s blog review meme. Here then is the first sentence from the first post of each month of 2006, starting with, bless, my first-ever post in March:
March: Children’s bedtimes – a big topic here in Mitteleuropa, as we hang outside ballet class or inhale coffee while waiting for music school to finish.
April: We’ve just come back from a week’s holiday in Obertauern, where we enjoyed the twin Austrian pastimes of skiing and passive smoking.
May: All good Germans ride bikes.
June: Six-year-old Lily starts school in Germany in September, the first of my kids to do so.
July: It’s pool season again.
August: Memes: I’ve been getting them per email and ignoring them for years.
September: I arrived back from holiday to find an invitation to my 20-year school reunion, which is delightful, but obviously a mistake since I am only 27.
October: I was walking my girls to school yesterday, and had the following dialogue:
November: Oh, I didn’t sleep well last night.
December: I’ve been shepherding a dear friend around the local Christmas markets the last few days, which explains my absence here.
All very domestic, and I’m sorry to say, not a book review in sight. While nosing around this morning, I found the post I enjoyed writing the most – Bridezilla, Moi? – and the post that got the most hits – 10 Things I Find Weird About Germany.
I hope I’ll still be around doing a blog review on 31 December 2007. Happy New Year to you all.
Charlotte's Web 
December 31, 2006 at 10:34 am
Just wanted to wish you and your family all the best in the new year. I’ve linked to your blog, something I’ve been intending to do for a while now, for I do so admire and enjoy your writing.
December 31, 2006 at 11:29 am
Aw thanks, Lia! One of the trumps of NaBloPoMo was finding your blog. I think I’ve wished you happy New Year there, but if not, I wish you well in 2007.
December 31, 2006 at 4:37 pm
I first saw this exercise (the interesting ones don’t deserve to be called mere “memes”) at Erin’s (http://the-looney-bin.blogspot.com/) and it caught my fancy as well. I think I may do the same – it does seem particularly apt for the last day of the year, doesn’t it?
BTW, the fudge recipe is up, per your request!
December 31, 2006 at 7:19 pm
Happy New Year to you Charlotte. Blogging has meant all of the above to me too. I also started in March, I like the idea of the review of the year – I may do the same.
December 31, 2006 at 7:41 pm
Just wanted to stop by and wish you all the best for the coming year. And a sincere thanks for coming by my blog and encouraging me. I have so enjoyed reading your posts, and am looking forward to the coming year of both reading and writing.
Blessed be.
December 31, 2006 at 8:07 pm
Happy New Year!
December 31, 2006 at 9:41 pm
Charlotte, I just want to wish you and your family all the very best for 2007: love and laughter; happiness and serenity; and not a few dreams coming true.
Thank you for reading and encouraging me these past months. Thank you for writing so beautifully about life and what matters. I look forward to reading more.
Happy New Year Charlotte!
January 1, 2007 at 9:41 am
Charlotte – It’s been a delight to read you this year, and I remember Bridezilla and the laugh it gave me very fondly indeed! Have a very Happy New Year, and here’s to lots more wonderful posts!
January 1, 2007 at 9:42 pm
Happy 2007 and all the best to you and yours, and keep blogging! So very fascinating.
January 2, 2007 at 12:09 am
I wouldn’t have understood the appeal of blogging before I began reading them, but since I began reading them … I wonder why not everyone has one!
January 2, 2007 at 10:27 pm
A belated Happy New Year to you, CharlotteOtter!
Too bad you’re friend doesn’t get the blogger appeal…
January 21, 2007 at 8:10 pm
This is a bit late, but I’m reading blog archives instead of working on my editing job!
The thing about blogging that I wonder about: what do we call people whose blogs we read regularly? They aren’t really friends, but they’re not strangers either. I get kind of tired of calling them “that man in London” or “the Australia lady” to my husband. Maybe, blog-friends?
January 22, 2007 at 7:46 am
I agree–it’s nearly impossible to explain the whys of blogging to non-bloggers. Back in high school, when members of the marching band would bitch and moan about band camp, et. al, my standard response was: “Then why don’t you just quit?” Their pat response: “You don’t understand. You’re not in band.” At the time, I thought they were just being snooty and elitist–which they were, in part; but after spending time in the “blogosphere,” I kind of understand what they meant. Even with all its inherent drawbacks (the occasional pressure to “perform;” the trolls; judgment passing by those who know little to nothing about our lives, and/or unsolicited advice; the ephemeral and transitory nature of the entire endeavor; the feeling of over-exposure, or “Oh gawd, did I really write about that and put it on the web for the whole world to read?!”–there’s also something that makes leaving this venue extremely difficult. I wish there was an easy explanation for the motivation behind blogging–LOL then maybe I could “quit” for *good*. 😀