This man makes my heart go pitter pat.
After trying to do this blogging thing for a few months I just have to say kudos to all of those people who can find it within themselves to blog on a regular basis, especially those who live on a boat. I’m thinking particularly of the Windtravelers, Bumfuzzles and Controlled Jibes of the world – though there are many, many more who make it happen.
It turns out that it’s really hard work to generate content while trying to make it all interesting and pretty to boot (at least it is for me…maybe others have uncovered some secret). In addition to taking time, it requires electricity and internet (which aren’t always easy to come by at sea, which is partially why I love being at sea). Some days the thought of updating the blog completely exhausts me.
Jeff used to write articles for the newspaper at his college and he found a great quote about writing articles: “Being a newspaper columnist is like being married to a nymphomaniac. It’s great for the first two weeks.” (Lewis Gizzard) The same can be said of blogging (though, truth be told, I’ve never been married to a nymphomaniac…so how can I really know). And yet, we keep doing it. We keep posting things.
There are some days (like today) where I ask myself, why am I on my computer writing about this life rather than living it. Every time I sit down to write I question whether or not it’s worth it. I think I’ve decided it’s worth it. And to-date here’s what I’ve told myself as justification (Jeff may have other reasons):
- It’s a note home. So friends and family can keep tabs on us. So we don’t have to tell the same stories over and over and over again. So we can share with the people we love and miss (terribly!) all the wonderful things, people, places that we encounter on our journey. So those people can buoy us when we feel a little sunk.
- It’s a data point. There are a lot of people cruising around in boats and writing blogs about just that. Every cruiser has a completely different experience and new insights to share (though many of us also share the same old insights, having just discovered them ourselves for the first time). So we’re happy to be another data point in a sample size of n in this strange little subculture.
- It’s practice. Jeff and I both like to write and we like the challenge of telling stories. It keeps us fresh and attentive. It helps us to find new ways of describing things to ourselves, to each other. I also really like to practice my photography skillz (constructive feedback ALWAYS wanted and welcome in that department for me…well, actually in both departments).
- It’s discovery. Jeff and I keep each other blogging and I love peeking into Jeff’s head every now and again. Amazing how, despite the fact that we spend pretty much every waking moment together, and talk all the time…there’s still so much to discover. I also have the occasional epiphany when I write, which can be fun.
- It’s a memory book. I take a lot of pictures (some good, lots not so good), but I rarely did anything with them (they eventually got shuffled from my computer onto the external hard drive…where documents and pictures go to die). I’m not, nor ever will I be a scrapbooker. Though I usually admire and envy the product, I just can’t see myself putting in the time. I also have a lot of things running through my mind at any given point in time, though I rarely jot them down. I want to remember this time and strangely I’m more likely to write about it online than in a personal journal (psycho-analyze that!) Plus, we need a way to prove to our teenage kids that we weren’t always lame.
- It’s a conversation with, and a love letter to, my husband. That’s all I’m gonna say about that one.