Thursday, April 05, 2012

A to Z Challenge - E



http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/p/2012-to-z-challenge-sign-up-list.html



E... Embarrassment

Specifically, blogging embarrassment or "blogbarressment".

In a recent post,

"Do you blog? If so, do you tell people you know in real life about your blog?"

Clearly, I blog.

And I do tell folks about my blog, but the truth is I do so...shyly.  "Oh, I have to get home and finish (lowering my voice) a blog post" or "I just talked about that on (turning my face away) my blog."

It's not that I am embarrassed to admit that I blog, why would I be? But I am shy about the possibility that someone might actually visit my blog and, God help us, read it.

Of course, I do fully understand the ridiculousness of that sentence! The whole point of blogging is to be read, is it not?!

But it's different to be read by other bloggers who are also putting themselves out there, who are opening their own souls for all to see, or by someone whom I have never met and quite possibly never will and, say, my father. Or a coworker. Or, oh I don't know, my 9th grade English teacher who might possibly send me a red-penned correction of my work. Oy!

I am hoping that this feeling will go away as I get more experience blogging and gain more confidence. I look forward to the day that I hold my head high and announce, "Oh yes, I am discussing that today on my blog, why don't you stop by and see what my thousands of followers have to say about it. Here's my card!"

What about you? Do you tell folks that your blog/s and invite them to stop by?


9 comments:

Katy Upperman said...

Love this! I used to hide my blogging too (for the same reason: I didn't want anyone I knew to read my posts!), but I've gotten over it. As an aspiring author, I NEED people to want to read my writing. Now I shout about my blog from the rooftops. :)

Shannon said...

Thanks for the input. I'm glad to hear that, I look forward to that day myself.
Shannon

DayDreamer said...

Oh, I feel the same way apart from certain family members who mine was really created for in the first place.
But you don't need to worry, it's a great blog and your writing is well done. Don't turn away your face but tell people with pride :)

DL Hammons said...

I have non-bloggers that follow my blog and it is awesome when I receive positive feedback from them. It is a good thing to step outside of the circle now and again! :)

DL Hammons @ Cruising Altitude 2.0
Co-Host of the Blogging from A to Z Challenge.

Christine said...

Well, good for you for doing the A to Z Challenge! It seems like this will help you get over some of your worries. And you already have followers, so obviously someone wants to read what you have to say!

I do tell people I blog. In fact, I have two blogs that I talk about all the time. I link to my new posts on my Facebook page. But it took me awhile to get comfortable. When I finally decided that I would own my writer persona, and share with the world that I can't NOT write, telling people about my blog became easy.

So, own it! And good luck on the Challenge!

Christine@
Coffee in the Garden
In the Care of the Great Physician

Horst Peters said...

I pick and chose who I tell about my blog. I do post every new blogpost on Facebook and twitter and send an email to a number of people every day that I post. It took me 7 months to tell my mom about it and now I print the blogs for her so she can read them.

Suzanne Payne said...

I'm with you...my 'real job' is being an elementary music teacher. I've felt really weird telling people I have a 'blog' or that I even write at all. I'm slowly getting over it, but it's taken several years.

Shannon said...

Thanks all, its nice to hear that others have felt the same...and that their is light at the end of the tunnel. And thank you for your words of encouragement!
Shannon

Callie Leuck said...

I do tell people that I blog. My family and friends know. I don't tell my coworkers, but I don't hide it either: it's linked on all my social media profiles, including LinkedIn, and they could find it. My family is starting to leave comments, and a few of my friends read it and leave comments, but mostly my friends and family read it only occasionally (as far as I can ascertain) and rarely comment.