September 12, 2006

Reasons for blooming

I used to blog almost exclusively about diabetes and other health issues. I shared my ideas about other topics in different ways. Or I didn’t share them at all.

I liked the compartmentalization: it felt safe, tidy, to do most of my diabetes-related processing in cyberspace, anonymously. In the 20 months since my first post, only three people who had met me in real life knew that this was my blog. One is a close friend. Another is Scott, whom I met in my pumpers’ support group in Minnesota and whose blog inspired this one. The third, my ex, never read anything I wrote here, seemingly because he felt so much anxiety in relation to all issues medical.

Grow or die, right? OK, fine! I pick growth. The landscape of Pumplandia, as a blog and as my way of living, is changing. I’m starting to meet D-bloggers in person for the first time. Those folks already know the online me, and soon they’ll know the “real” me as well. I’m also sharing my blog with a small number of other people, some new to me and some not at all new, for the sake of openness and authenticity.

With these shifts and the many other changes in my life, I no longer want Pumplandia to be so compartmentalized. I’m remaining anonymous, and diabetes will always be a major focus here. But I’ll no longer limit my posts to issues relating to health. As in my recent posts, a lot more of the Whole Violet will appear. I’m a little freaked out about this--who gives a rip about your weird-ass life, says an evil, simpering little voice in my brain--but I’m mainly looking forward to sharing more of myself with the kind and brilliant OC, in all its richness and variety. Thanks for reading this far. You guys are helping me stay sane.

7 comments:

  1. I can't wait, Violet. :)

    tek

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  2. Cool!

    Hey, I ramble and rant and drool and blather on all over my blog. It's surprising how cathartic it can be at times. I don't know what I'd do without my blog these days. Sometimes it's the only place I can go to let it all out.

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  3. I appreciate being allowed to read here, Violet. I'm commenting anon to help preserve your anon..don't know if my blogger ID here could get traced back to the real me via people who know us both, and wouldn't want that to happen. -J

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  4. Thanks tek! And Julia, I get the cathartic thing completely. Something parallel to therapy in it, I think.

    I'm so glad you're here, J.

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  5. Hey V,

    Thanks for the mention. It was great to get a chance to meet you in real life before your big move - I am also glad I had an opportunity to help in some small way.

    It's very gracious of you to mention that my blog inspired yours - that's quite an honor and I'm very proud of it! I'm sure that you would have burst onto the scene without me too - but again, glad to have been a part of it.

    I think it would be great for you to open up the blog to whatever you want. You are a really neat person to interact with, and I look forward to getting to know you better through the blog.

    I think the ability to remain anonymous is a really cool thing about blogging. It's totally up to you how much you reveal, and when you reveal it (if ever).

    Glad to see you posting again, and sorry I'm so slow to respond!

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  6. The whole Violet? Bring her on!

    btw, my mom was diagnosed with pre-D, too. She simply cannot deal and is in total denial. So much for my mojo, ay?

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