The FyF Turns One

Whilst enjoying some Christmas-stocking bonbons this afternoon, some of my thoughts about this past year in blogging coalesced for me. AT LAST.

I kept up with a couple of friends' blogs during my senior year of college. I was intrigued by the medium, but way too busy with school and wedding planning to let myself try only to fail spectacularly. Finally last winter I was bored and deeply suspicious that my husband was getting tired of my blather. I also wanted to scrapbook again, but I hadn't had the energy to be that creative, I had no physical prints of my pictures (ah, the digital age!), and I wanted to spend my pennies on cute sweaters, not Creative Memories paper kits. I didn't tell anyone about this site for several weeks after I started it. I was afraid of failure (a personal hallmark), so I kept the potential damage down. But I kept plugging away at the keyboard, writing drivel but noticing that it was fun and occasionally it helped me keep the old bean clear of frustration. Slowly the months of archives built up. I would look up that picture or that comment and I'd dig back four, five months before I found it. Then I started messing with the template, learning the ropes of managing my site (and those of a few friends) and it really became the hobby I thought it might. Mmmm, I like being right.

A couple of weeks ago I attended a wedding of some GCC alums. Weddings are always more fun when you know and love the couple (especially when you love them AS a couple), and if they have delicious flavored iced teas at the reception, so much the better. One of the best aspects of this particular one for us, though, was catching up with so many alums that we'd missed at Homecoming this year. Many were one or more years behind us, and it was great to see them starting out their careers and getting engaged to their sweethearts. A bunch of them confessed to reading my blog daily, and I was so flattered that they would take any interest in my descriptions of dinners and captioned images of my cat. They knew so much of what was going on in my life just because they read the snippets I posted here. It reminded me that as much as this is all about me, it can be useful as a tool for sustaining friendships.

Sidenote: Friendships are so underrated. I suppose humanity cannot be blamed if it is more captivated by the extreme passion of romantic love. We want high drama from our stories, but it ends up devaluing friendship. Friendship gives us a refuge of understanding, shared experiences, and plenty of opportunities for companionship without the entangling expectations of love. I have been so very blessed to have close friends throughout my life who really are incredible people themselves. I never thought they'd be all that interested in this sort of forum, but I have had many good conversations with friends that have been sparked by what I've said. Sure it's hard to be honest with the Internet about your depression, but when 5 friends call you up because of it, it kinda takes the edge off. Just a bit.

So an entire year has passed. I'm not sure how long I'll slug away at this, but the hobby hasn't lost its luster, and I'll keep it up as long as I can. It has served as a scrapbook, a sort of newsletter, a little therapy, and just one more way that I can stay connected to the finest readership out there. Thanks, guys, for one great year.