Slog

Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower. Albert Camus

An article in the New York Times has caused a stir in the blogosphere. The issue is one that has been brewing for some time. It revolves around the fact that some bloggers are paring down their posts or giving up blogging altogether due to the unrelenting nature of the beast which has left some feeling spent and uninspired.

Of course, the bloggers discussed are trying to make a living off of the medium with little help and minimal overhead. How many times can someone redecorate a house or come up with an original DIY project with enough glitz and gloss to satisfy the current social media frenzy and compete with traditional print magazines in the same genre without selling one's soul to the advertising options available in order to make a dime?
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Seems like a real slog that I am grateful to avoid, and I must say that the result seems to be a lack of authenticity. I have stopped subscribing to numerous blogs over the years that either simply fail to inspire and interest me any longer or lose their appeal as real and fresh. The bloggers fail to connect and inspire the reader with depth and honesty. Rather, the blogs read more like a mainstream, popular magazine you would buy in desperation at the airport bookstore as you search for something to lull you to sleep on the red eye to California.

Let me speak for myself here: just as the fashion industry needs to expand its understanding of beauty, I believe the blogosphere needs to mature by nurturing a bit more grit and reality rather than polish and glamour. The readers live lives that are complex and certainly would appreciate bloggers who strive for authenticity as they struggle through the day-to-day personally and professionally, creatively and reflectively. I know I am looking for this authenticity when I vett blogs. Thankfully, I still stumble across blogs that motivate me to subscribe.

So, I hope we continue to say yes to blogging and support our fellow bloggers who give us something that resonates with our lives and the struggles and triumphs we experience as well. In this vein, I assure you that I strive to blog authentically as I share with you, dear reader, my own comings and goings. I won't apologize anymore for my absences, because my life is real, too, and I struggle to juggle the demands. I never share thoughts that don't come from the heart. I take my own photos and share my own words, recipes, activities, and life happenings.

I share a sliver of my own reality and hope you enjoy. However, if A Measured Word does begin to get stale for you, do not hesitate to move on. This blog should never be a slog for me nor should it bog you down either. I hope you continue to enjoy this partnership and look forward to what might come in the next post as much as I do. And, don't hesitate to comment either. I do so enjoy the conversation.