Fear of Blogging?

I've been working really, really hard on my well-documented and irrational fear of flying. Having three granddaughters halfway across the country, one son attending college at Notre Dame (which is a 16-hour drive from home), and two sons a full day's drive south has helped a lot with this long-standing bugaboo of mine (understatement of the century; because if my loved ones all lived down the street, there's a good chance I would never board an airplane again!).

But lately I've been battling a fear of blogging.  I've been questioning what I'm even doing here on the Internets (that one was for you, son #4! [smiley face emoticon]) and feeling like perhaps my musings have become a bit tiresome and I've worn out my welcome. I'll go to bed feeling that way, thinking that maybe I'll skip a day or two so that I can come up with something really fresh to write about--you know: "Leave them wanting more!"  [belly laugh] But then I wake up the same as always: anxious to park myself in front of my trusty old laptop, with the tips of my fingers tingling and ready to type.

I can't decide if I'm a blogophobic or a blogoholic. Either way, here I am again! You can't get rid of me that easily!

Actually, I have to come clean here: yesterday I was reading this short but inspiring article called "Don't Be Scared Away from Blogging" on a Catholic Writers Guild blog, and the inspiration for my post today came entirely from that. I'm so glad I read this article and the bloggers' comments that followed it.  It reminded me that just because I'm not one of the well-known  movers and shakers in the blogging world,  I shouldn't feel that my little String of Pearls is without a purpose.  I enjoy the writing process, which is a good enough reason, I guess, to keep plugging away.  I like the idea of writing down our family's stories so they'll have them after I'm gone.  Ultimately, I'm now more determined than ever to keep at it (blogging, that is), if for no other reason than that it's an enjoyable outlet for me and a few people (my husband especially) would be sad if I quit.


When I began writing Finding Grace In August of 2007, I hadn't written a thing since I'd left college with an English degree in 1980; but I always knew that one day I wanted to try to write a book.  I was a stay-at-home mom to five boys, and I put the book-writing dream on the back burner for a long time, giving it nary a thought.  Then when my youngest son was about to start high school, I was finally ready to get started.  (I didn't feel ready in those busy years prior to that; some people are good at juggling a lot of balls at once, but I know I'm not one of them.)

I didn't discover blogging until March of 2011, when I was within a year of finishing my manuscript--and boy, I sure wish I'd discovered it earlier!  By the time I started my blog, I had found my writing "voice" (trying to sound like a real writer here!) through years of working on my book; but I think I would have found it a lot sooner if I'd been a blogger first.

So...long story not short enough, I've decided I'm not going to give up blogging just yet--even if most of the people who read my blog are members of my family!  :)

P.S.: One other great thing about blogging is the new friends I've "met."  One of them ordered my book and was kind enough to give it a mention on her blog today, if you want to check it out!  And by the way, thanks Erica!  You're a saint! ;)