Tuesday, February 11, 2014

If You Can't Beat Em...

So, this is the beginning of who knows what.   I'm not sure where this blog is heading but something is pulling me to do it so here goes...

I had no idea what a blog was until somewhere around 2008 even though I'm guessing blogging had been around well before that?  That's Clue # 1 about me...I'm not exactly a social media connoisseur ("con-noyse-sir" as my DH likes to say) and am certainly not Generation X or Millennial, or any other generation that can't remember life before The Internets.   I barely do Facebook even though I set up a Facebook profile around 2 years ago.  I naively subscribed just so I could view a friend's photos and after I  finished viewing the photos of her first deer (Clue #2 - country girl here), I realized I couldn't figure out how to unsubscribe, so I guess I'm stuck there for life.   However, maybe figuring out this blog stuff will inspire me to figure that out too...maybe.  For now, don't look for me on Facebook.   Which probably begs the question "why am I blogging?"...obviously not for fame or fortune.

Anyhow, back to 2008.   I was 39 then (Clue #3, I'm old, well, at least older than most of the other bloggers I read, but I can explain that in a little bit), and honestly, I was in a dark place.   It's called Serious Depressive Disorder Caused By Infertility, or SDDCBI for short.   Well, let's just say I Googled something like "Catholic, infertility, hope" in search of anything that would make me feel 1) less depressed, 2) less isolated and 3) not be all about IVF (that's the Catholic part).   And walla, I found the first blog I ever read, which was this.   I thought, "wow, you mean there really are other women out there who believe what I believe and are going through the same thing I am?"   It was some much needed comfort to my breaking heart.    I didn't become a serious blog reader at that time because I was working full time and really doing everything possible to deny my SDDCBI, but on the days that denial wouldn't work, I would read the Catholic infertile blogs and the strength, conviction and amazing insights into faith and prayer that these wonderful women shared really got me through some rough times.

Fast forward to 2012.   In March of 2012, I handed in my resignation after a 21 year career in the government and officially became a SAHM.   My two boys were ages 13 months and almost 20 months at that point (odd age difference to be explained in future post), and although I did the part-time working thing for a while, I had gradually come to realize that being home with them every day was what I really wanted (how that evolved will be a future post).   So, DH took on the role of being the breadwinner and I was left at home with the bottles, diapers, board books and no real idea of how to fulfill my new role. After about one week as full-time SAHM, it dawned on me that I was going to be all alone for 10-12 hours a day, 5 days in a row, every single week with the two little munchkins and that adult conversation was going to be seriously lacking. So, to the Mommy blogs I turned.   And as days turned to weeks, turned to almost two years now, I found that I wanted to be a part of this virtual world of Catholic women who live their faith every day in every little detail of their lives.  I pray that I am up to the task.

So, here I am.   And what do I have to contribute?   Probably not much.   But I still read the infertility blogs, and I'm still right there with them, waiting, praying, for that baby that may never come (we are waiting to adopt again) so maybe I can share some of that.   And I love the Catholic mommy blogs, because I am still learning how to do this mommy-thing, and to a lesser degree, I'm still learning what living like a Catholic means, too.   So there will be some mommy-blogging goin' on here as well.    And lastly, I want to share some of the joy I have found by having a serious addiction to the great outdoors.   So, lot's to talk about and maybe someone out there will find it helpful or at least entertaining. Or maybe not.  

Oh, and one last thing, given my almost total cluelessness when it comes to creating blogs, I have no idea yet how to incorporate things like images and hyperlinks (do they still call them that these days?), gadgets and navicons into a blog.   Heck, I don't even know what a lot of that stuff is yet (although I am quite pleased that I did figure out how to incorporate a link to another blog).  So, this blog is a work-in-progress and if you have any helpful advice for a novice, feel free to share.   I'm trying to figure it all out ...one toddler nap time at a time.    Stay tuned.

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