Forty-something – Jot #3

Your prompt for JusJoJan 2019, January 3rd, is your blog. Why did you start blogging? How did you come up with your theme, if you have one? How has it changed your life? Tell us about your blog in your jot! Enjoy!

Forty, c’est fantastique. It is fitting that Linda chose this prompt, because Linda’s blog was really one of the first ones I latched onto as a new blogger. Back in January of 2014, I got the odd idea that a blog would be a good way to do a little writing, and it had the added element of danger that other people (the public!) could access it and read it. But it wasn’t really too dangerous, because who was really going to find one little blog in the vast ocean that is the internet, right? I have this belief that even the most introverted person has a tiny desire to be seen and heard sometimes, even if they won’t admit it to themselves. Et voilà the internet!

So I looked for an easy way to start, and stumbled across WordPress, and a little “Beginning of Year” thing called “Zero to Hero” which was a sort of month-long tutorial on how to blog using WordPress.com. So here I am, five years later, five years older, and fast approaching the day when I may have to change the name of my blog. I wasn’t actually forty when I started it, but rather forty-three and some change. I just meant that being forty-something was fantastique. I think I could say that “J’étais dans la quarantaine” at that time, but now I might have to say that “Je suis dans la quarantaine avancée.” (not sure on that, the French seem to be rather waffly on how to say one is in one’s early, mid-, or late forties. Si vous êtes français (e) , dites-moi! ) In any case, I should remember that it’s just a number, nothing more.

I was very full of determination to write, then, and to write in French, too. Bien sûr que cela n’était pas changé ! Thankfully, I had no illusions of becoming a well-known blogger, or making any money from my blog. That’s a good thing. I started out posting pretty frequently, and I found some nice bloggers to follow and who seemed to not mind reading my posts. I write about nothing, mostly, just little things that I love to do, mostly learning French, traveling, baking, and playing music. I did the A to Z April challenge three times, until the format just became too cumbersome and social-media heavy for me. It’s a great idea, but I don’t think I’ll do that again. I participated in a few writing contest-type things over on Yeah Write, and I may do that again, because they’re really good at feedback over there. Out of all of it, though, I keep coming back to Linda G. Hill’s site, and her laid-back, easy-going prompts like SoCS and One-liner Wednesday, and of course, Just Jot it January. In case I can’t say it enough, I love her and the fun group of bloggers that congregate around her.

The most important thing about this space, though, is that it is always here, and I have a handful of folks who still read the stuff I write, and who invite me to read what they write. Even if I drop off the face of the planet for months at a time, there are still those lovely folks who drop in to say hi when I spend time here. In 2019, I really need and want to spend more time doing this. In fact, it’s probably time to update my “about me” page and re-consider what I want to do here. Coming back and writing is really a bit like finding a five-dollar bill in the pocket of your winter coat on the first cold day of winter.

P.S.  Just realized that Jan 3 was actually the “anniversary” of my blog, so how fitting is that??

This post is part of Linda G. Hill’s “Just Jot it January.” Please click here to learn the rules and how to participate in the fun!

https://lindaghill.com/2019/01/08/jusjojan-2019-daily-prompt-jan-8th/

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