Trapped in a Box

Remember this song?  Am I showing my age?

really loving the 90s fashion

 

 

I haven't been blogging lately for a few different reasons.

 

1.  As many of you know, life has been hard.  It happens, and that's okay.  I'm a big girl & a tough girl, so I can handle it.  I can see that our family is on our way out of tough times (or at least I can see the way out), so that's good.  It's nice to have an end in sight.  And because I really loathe complaining, I tend to keep things to myself when life gets hard.  Nothing positive to write?  Well, I guess I won't be blogging today is what I tend to say to myself.  Maybe I should change that. 

 

I hate being a downer.

 

 

2.  I'm trying really hard to be a better mom, and that means getting my priorities in order.  I'm trying to spend less time on the Internet.  Yesterday was an epic fail; I spent waaay too much time on Facebook (which I also loathe because I always walk away feeling like I wasted a significant amount of valuable time, and I rarely feel happy after signing off.  Guess what I'll be giving up for Lent again this year?)  But overall, I think I'm doing a much better job of spending quality time with the littles and caring for my family.  Woot Woot!  Go me!

 

source

 

3.  I feel trapped in a box (in terms of blogging).  When I first started this blog, way back when, almost 2 years ago...did you know my blogiversary is coming up?  It is, and I didn't even know that was a thing until I read this post by Dwija.  Have I mentioned how I much I enjoy her blog lately?  Because I really do. 

 

Her post had a lot of tips for new bloggers, and one that stood out to me was being yourself.  She said blogging was all about the relationships you form online (and I agree; I've really enjoyed getting to know so many cool bloggers even if it's just in electronic form).  So, her suggestion was just be yourself, and blog about what you know.  I think her exact words were "be authentic."  Point taken, Dwija.  I'm trying.

 

And then Jen Fulwiler wrote a post with similar advice.  She wrote about how she was trying to figure out what makes certain blogs successful but couldn't figure out what common thread they all had in common until it hit her that the most successful bloggers are "wholly, apologetically themselves." 

And then she quoted Howard Thurman,

"Don't ask what the world needs.  Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it.  Because what the world needs is people who have come alive." 

 

It was a great post.  Go read it...NOW.  I'll still be here when you get back.

 

And I guess it dawned on me that all I've really wanted with this whole blogging thing is just that...

 

a place to be myself. 

 

When I started my blog and chose the title, The Imperfect Catholic, it was a reversion story, a faith journey.  I still intend to write about that sometimes because...dang, being Catholic is hard and awesome all at the same time.  Am I right?  But I didn't realize that there were all these Catholic bloggers out there with similar names-- Bad Catholic, Almost Not Catholic, etc.  These bloggers have legit Catholic blogs and talk about religious stuff.  Yet, I never wanted that.  I just wanted to talk about myself and my personal journey, so in retrospect, my blog title might be unintentionally misleading.

 

So, I think I'm going to change my blog.  I'm going to change my title to something that is more suited to me and my family.  And I'm going to try to be myself like Dwija and Jen suggested.  It might be hard.  I might stumble along the way, but I'm going to try.

 

And changing the blog is going to take time-- time I really don't have.  So, it will be a process and not an overnight thing.  Maybe I'll change the title & design one day, the About section another day, and write new posts in between.  Please bear with me. 

 

And hey, two requests--

 

I'm having minor surgery on Friday.  Pray for me?

 

Any super techy friends want to hook me up with easy links on how to make a blog button and how to redirect a website?  I am clueless.  I'm talking blogging for dummies clueless.

 

Help a mother out?

 

 

 

Thanks!