The day dawned clear and cold; the early morning sky, usually grey and murky, was palest blue. A faint blush of pink in the east promised a spectacular sunrise. I wandered along the waterfront walkway in Sidney, hands deep in my pockets to protect them from the cold, and watched as the pale pink sky deepened to flame, and the winter sun rose from behind the islands. I breathed in deeply, feeling the sharp, crisp air; absorbing the beauty of the morning. “This is my home,” I thought. “I am so fortunate to live here.”
And though I appreciate the beautiful scenery here, it’s the sense of community that I appreciate even more. I love that my connections run so deep in this place. I’ve lived here more than twenty years; I’ve taught here; I’ve raised a family here. I love that wherever I go, I’m likely to run into somebody I know. It pleases me that everyone knows my name at the country market where I stop sometimes for a morning latte. I like it that I can have a chat about our children with the cashier at the local grocery store. I love that early on a Saturday morning, before soccer games begin, I can count on running into the same group of people at my favourite little coffee shop.
And as I mark my first year of blogging, I realize that the greatest gift of this endeavour has been the sense of community I feel in this place. It isn’t what I expected. When I started blogging, I was looking for a creative outlet, a place to share my writing with a bigger audience, and a place to document my experience as a divorced woman making her way in the world. I had no idea that along the way, I would make connections with fellow writers from Colorado to California, from Ireland to Australia. And I had no idea that I would come to care so much about their lives, their stories, their ideas. I also had no idea how much they would care about my story. This sense of community is a gift of blogging I couldn’t have anticipated.
Another way in which blogging has enriched my life is in the way it has heightened my appreciation for the beauty of the everyday. I slow down. I pay attention. I make detours on my way to work to enjoy a winter sunrise, or a field shrouded in morning mist. I mark these moments, take photographs, capture images to accompany my writing. And as I seek out and document the beauty in the everyday, my life comes to feel richer, more vibrant. And definitely more delicious.
How has blogging enriched your life?
I too have met people from all over the world and made friends with women I think I’d love to see in person and laugh with for hours. What a wonderful community blogging is, i agree! and that includes you!
Why, thank you! I feel the same way
Wouldn’t it be fun to have a get together with all our favourite blogging friends? I’ll bet it would be a complete blast!
I have often thought we should organize a “conference” just so we can socialize!
Perfect idea!
Your last paragraph pretty much says it all. I can’t possibly improve on that, so I’m not going to try.
Those photos are gorgeous!!
And I agree with everything you said – I wasn’t expecting to connect so deeply with people when I started blogging, but it’s turned out to be my favourite part of the whole experience, I think.
So often the greatest gifts in an experience are unexpected ones. I feel that way about so many aspects of my life…
Wow…beautifully expressed….I feel the same; I am surprised by how much I have come to care about people I have never met in person; and am humbled by the level of support that I have been offered by these same people. I also really like your second point; about how blogging has made you more present in your life! Kim.
Thank you, Kim. I love how you express so succinctly the second point I was struggling to make: you’ve nailed it by saying we become more present.
I think that most of us started out blogging for much different reasons than we are now proceeding. The blogging community and many “virtual friends” are a wonderful and unexpected bonus
Love the idea of getting everyone together. What a party that would be!
And I vote we have the event “East of Malaga”
That would be fantastic!
There is one point that really resonates with me. From when I was 8 to 18 I lived in a small market town in Hampshire in the South of England, I loved walking into town and bumping into people I knew. There is a certain wonderful smile you share when you meet a friend in an unexpected encounter. My parents moved when I was 18 and I went off to college, and following that set out on a career path that meant moving every couple of years. No sooner had I put roots down somewhere, than I had to move off to a new role in a new location. At the age of 34 with two young children I made one of those life changing decisions and decided to find a wonderful place to live and build my career around my life, and not build my life around my career. I moved to Galway in Ireland, a new town, a new culture, and a new country. In the 16 years I have lived here I treasure every day. I love that the waitress in the cafe knows me, I love that the barman in Naughtons knows me, but most of all I love to see that certain wonderful smile again when I bump into a friend unexpectedly. Here’s to community
What a lovely story, Jerry. I think it is so great that you found a community and built your life and career around it. That feels to me to be the right way to do things. And when I embark on my blogging world tour, I’m definitely coming to Galway!
I think you just told the story of us all! Honestly, I never thought it would be this good.
It is very good, isn’t it?
Indeed it is!
It’s funny, in the online circles I move in, I think everyone has expressed that same sentiment at least once.
It’s good to know you, Delicious.
And it’s good to know you too, El Guapo.
Beautiful x
Thanks, Ceri! (Is that short for Ceridwen?)
Though I grew up in Canada, my parents, both from the Rhondda Valley in South Wales, instilled a strong sense of pride for my heritage. Between us, my sister and I have five children, all with traditional Welsh names. And I had a great aunt called Ceridwen
No way !!!! good god! I was born in Cardiff my nan still lives there. my kids were born in Bridgend and my eldest went to the welsh school in Llanhary not far from the Rhondda.my parents moved to West Wales 15 years ago and I followed 12 yrs ago..I live in” Little Haven”, Haverfordwest Pembrokeshire..My Business is right on the sea front. I told Mum Rhiannon would have been more romantic and fitting with my love of Stevie Nicks..Ceridwen was not a nice witch lol I cant beleive what a small world it is
It truly is a small world! (Another one of the great gifts of blogging). I’ve spent time in Cardiff and I’ve been to Bridgend. I Googled “Little Haven” and it looks like you’ve found a little piece of paradise! My cousin used to live on the Gower, which I thought was another truly spectacular region of Wales. So many places to visit…
lovely lovely lovely!! congratulations on the year!!
Thank you!
I didn’t know what to expect when I began blogging. But like you, I didn’t expect such a warm community of human beings — from all over. It makes me appreciate things more and to realize that although this big world we live is huge, filled with people with all kinds of life experiences, we’re all the same in that we connect — on a deeper level. It reinforces my idea that the world is a wonderful place and for the most part, filled with wonderful people. Happy weekend, Sally.
What a lovely way to express a lovely sentiment. To me the world feels like a kinder place – and like a smaller place too. You have a happy weekend too, Brigitte!
You’re much more noble than me – I started blogging to meet women. Come to think of it, that’s why I do most things.
What I can’t answer is why I keep doing it… to that end, I much much much much more prefer reading blogs these days than putting them up.
Yeah, but every time you post a poem, you get about 100 “likes” and most of them are women. Your plan seems to be working….:)
I have only just begun, but I can already see you are so right. Lovely pictures, by the way.
Thanks so much for dropping by my blog, Katie! And congratulations on starting out yourself. I hope that you find as much pleasure in the experience as have I.
DD,
Blogging has been for me this community. Quite simply.
Eric
And it’s the blogosphere’s fault that we met, Clown.
Madame Weebles,
Stupid blogosphere…
Let’s do it again!
Le Clown
It is an extraordinary space. And I am honoured to count you among the amazing people I’ve met here, Eric.
Blogging has been so much more than I ever expected it would be. I’ve met some extraordinary people, including my closest friend (see Le Clown above). I’ve learned about people and places I wouldn’t have otherwise. I’ve found great recipes, read beautiful poems, found others of like mind—and learned more about the mindsets of those who *aren’t* of like mind. It’s been phenomenal.
Absolutely! I LOVE that you’ve met your closest friend in the blogging world! (And really, who can’t love Le Clown?) Mind you, when I think about it, I’ve met some of my favourite people on the internet
You are right! It’s a great community. I’ve learned so many things since I started blogging. It’s wonderful to share ideas, to inspire and support each other, see places I never thought they exist and connect with people all around the world.
Hi Niki, thanks for dropping by and checking out my blog! (I can hardly wait to visit your site. With a name like Exhale Joy, it sounds right up my alley!)
Happy Blogoversary! I agree with you… I feel that blogging has opened up the whole world to me. It’s not at all what I expected
Love the sound of your world, and the glimpses that you share with us!
Thank you, Alarna. And I love the quiet, introspective vibe I get at your blog. In fact, I’ve twice been interrupted as I started to comment on your post about finding a new job, and so I’m heading over right now to share my perspective…
I’m glad to hear that blogging has improved the quality of your non-blogging life. For me, I’ve found that an incredible number of people out there are willing to support me and my work without compensation, just based on the connections we form in this medium.
Hi Chris, thanks for dropping by my blog. I agree with you that the connections we build in this medium are really amazing. I look forward to popping by to investigate your blog!