Reflecting Back

Looking back on a year of blogging, you can see the changes in my interests and passions, the love of my sport, and the advancement in my writing. I've attempted to keep a blog many times in the past, for several topics, and seem to always let it slip out of my mind, and it always ends up as a blank page that never goes anywhere. Well, for once, I had to make sure I kept it up because I had a grade for it. I think that motivation was really helpful and helped me learn how to keep a blog fun and engaged, so it never really gets old or outdated and you'll always have something to write about. I've always struggled with one problem when it came to creating a blog: what do I want to write about? It seems like there's a million different things I want to put out to the world, but I can't ever find a label for what that "topic" is. Writing in a graded blog made me realize that you can't fit all of your ideas under a title, or a file it away in a blog archive. Sometimes, the best blogs are all about what makes you tick, what inspires you, and what you love more than anything. Even if you can't fit it all under one large heading at the top of your page, it's fine just being random and spontaneous. I mean, at the beginning of my blog, I tried to be inspirational in all my posts, as if I was writing to the world, but eventually, it was feeling forced and the inspiration in my tone was fading away. That basically defeated the purpose of my posts in the first place. I had to explore and find things I love and care about to bring back the passion I started writing my blog posts with. I think that blogging, for me, is more than writing a couple times a week about something for a class. The idea of blogging is a hope that somewhere in the world, there's a person reading your words. Everyone wants to be heard, and everyone wants to be understood and accepted, and I feel like even if no one actually reads my posts, I'm being heard. The world has my opinion, in text, available for anyone to see. That represents peace for me: to know that I'm being heard, and I don't have to hold it all inside. And the best part? I know I'm not alone in that feeling, or in my troubles or fears. Because even if we never cross paths, there are people out there who think the exact same thing, and want the world to hear them, too. I occasionally looked at other random blogs, and clicked through to read all of them. It's amazing to see a glimpse inside other people's lives, just from clicking a button and reading. I feel like I was listening to what they wanted the world to hear, just like what I wanted. I read blogs from new mothers documenting their kids growing up, nature activists who want to feel as natural as the creation around them, and even blogs about a bride-to-be's feelings the night before her wedding. Even though it's simple and subtle, blogging brings people together through words and experience. Just like that, you can step outside of yourself and imagine how it feels to be someone else, and see what the walk looks like from their shoes. It's inspiring when you reflect on it. So if I got anything out of blogging this year, it's that life lesson. Everyone in the world wants to be heard...so we should all take the time to listen.