Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Hmmm...Don't Know What to Call This One

Okay, here's the thing: I woke up this morning utterly uninspired to write.  (It happened yesterday morning, too; if you come here often, you might have noticed that.)  I've been making the mistake of comparing my little blog to all the other funny, smart, sassy, faith-filled, inspirational, informative (etc., etc.) Catholic mom blogs I follow: some of them that are so beautifully written, they read like actual literary masterpieces; some that fill me with a burning desire to improve my faith life drastically; and others that routinely make me belly laugh with abandon...And I've been doing that thing I do, which is wondering if this blog has a place amidst all that holiness, humor, and talent.

I'm not fishing for compliments, I'm really not--although I can see that I sound like I am.  (Please don't leave me any virtual pats on the back in the comment box; I was just venting, that's all.  And here I am, writing when I don't think I have anything noteworthy to say, so that's a step in the right direction!)  One should never compare himself to others, deep down I know this.  We are all unique souls equally beloved by God, and in our uniqueness, each of us has something to offer the world that no one else can offer (as hard as that is to believe sometimes).  And just as no two people are exactly alike, no two writers are exactly alike, and therefore no two blogs will ever be exactly the same.  And that's actually a good thing.

I read somewhere over the weekend that most regular blog readers take the weekend off--so Saturdays are a good day for bloggers to write about things no one really cares about, because no one is going to see those posts anyway.  This past Saturday, I wrote up and posted an homage to my #4 son, who was celebrating a birthday.  And obviously I really care about him!!  So I decided that for anyone who stopped by on Monday morning to see what was shaking here at String of Pearls, that post would make good reading (or re-reading, for you few loyal souls who check in here, rain or shine).  And with that adorable picture of my boy at four, he of the side-glancing smile and dimpled cheeks, I thought it would make good viewing, too.  So that got me off the hook yesterday, as far as coming up with something new to start the week.  And by golly, I'm not going to do any more posts about my family on the weekends if what they say is really true!  (Say it ain't so!)

Anyhoo, you nice readers you, I've been sitting here at my laptop, procrastinating, feeling so NOT like a writer, killing time by checking in on every sort of social media with which I've become acquainted recently, and I decided to stop by my book's Amazon page to see if there's been any action there lately.  And--yippee!--there was a new review posted.  For ages, the number has been holding at 13, but here's what reviewer #14 had to say about Finding Grace:

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January 28, 2014
 5.0 out of 5 stars
Finding Grace is a well-told coming-of-age story about a young Catholic girl whose faith surrounds her at home, at school and among friends. It is also an introduction to the lives of quite a few saints--both well-known and more obscure--as it drives home the message that everyone is called to be a saint. The author does a good job describing the interior struggles of an adolescent girl who wants to be a saint AND to have a family AND to fall in love.
 
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Reading that positive review was just the boost I needed to get excited about writing again.  I'm going to come back here tomorrow morning and just wow you with a post that'll knock your socks off.  Well, maybe not.  But at least I'm going to try.
In the meantime, if you know any teenaged girls (or women who are girls at heart) who like to read about young love, and about young heartthrobs who look something like the subject of this very amateur sketch (in red ink--huh?), which was rendered back in 1975 by a lovesick teenaged girl...


I think what reviewer #14 is trying to say is you should tell them about Finding Grace.

See you tomorrow.  I will, I mean it.

12 comments:

  1. Oh, Laura. I've been having a lot of the same thoughts. Here's what I have for you: I am least happy when I compare myself to others. I need blinders to keep me focused on what God wants me to be (and my blog to be). I'm not a professional blogger. That's definitely not my vocation. Who cares when you write/post? Who cares what "they" say? Write when you have the time and when the muse speaks. If you feel like waiting until Monday to click "publish," so be it!

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    1. Thanks, Jessica. I really have to remember the joy I found in doing this, back when I knew I had only 7 regular readers (my husband, one son, one sister, a daughter-in-law, a sister-in-law, and two nieces). I could hardly wait to get up in the morning and start typing!

      It's silly to look at what others are doing or how polished, professional, and popular their blogs are--because like you said, being a professional blogger is certainly not my vocation. (Being a grammy is my new vocation, I think!)

      Blinders on! I'm going to try to get back to writing for the sheer joy of it, without being distracted by what others are doing. Thanks again.

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  2. I ALWAYS think your posts are funny, smart and wonderful. So keep blogging my wonderful sister. I love reading what you write!

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  3. Keep writing, Laura! Even when you think you have nothing important to say. After all, words are life. ;)
    ~ Country Girl's Daybook, recently posted: Winter Wanderer // a Photoshoot → http://bit.ly/1mOvwcR

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  4. I do like words; words are my favorite. :)

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  5. Comparison is the thief of joy. That's why I got off Facebook. It just wasn't good for my soul. Step back and reevaluate where you're spending you're time and what is making you happy vs. sad and then choose joy!

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    1. I want to embroider "Comparison is the thief of joy. Choose Joy!" on a pillow, or tattoo it on the backs of my hands.

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  6. Okay..I totally needed to read this today. Totally, totally, totally!. I love blogging and I love writing, I really, really do. I enjoy the writing process so much, I think I'm a half-way decent writer, so I spend way too much time comparing myself to other bloggers and wondering why I don't have as many readers or as many comments. It's discouraging to spend time writing a post (one I feel is actually half-way decent) and then it pretty much gets ignored in the cyberworld. So, I really, really need to read that Comparision is the thief of Joy quote. I'm trying to get to a point where I don't really care if people read my blog or what they think of it. I really like, because, I write about things I like (duh'). I'm really trying to just be content with that, and not compare myself ot others or worry about who does or doesn't read it.

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  7. I know after this post I might seem like the wrong person to be a cheerleader for another blogger--but do keep writing! You never know when some post you thought no one noticed will contain the very words a reader needed to hear that day--and you may not know until the next life how profoundly he was affected or inspired by them.

    Keep blogging, Amelia--that's what I'm going to do. And I'm going to try to ignore that thief, comparison, and do it simply because it brings me joy.

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    1. And congrats on your nomination for smartest blog!! (They haven't announced the winners of the Sheenazing Awards yet, have they?)

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