Thanks for the Memories

June 21, 2010

Way way back a long, long time ago - like January of 2008 I was asked to be a part of an amazing collaborative blog, The Silicon Valley Mom Blog.  It was a huge honor to be actually asked to blog, and to be associated with some really amazing writers.  It was a daunting task, and one that I was not sure I was up to.  I remember stressing over my first post, over-analyzing every word I wrote, hoping to make a huge impression on the world.  The first postwas fine, it got some comments - I enjoyed the community of Moms I was meeting and I relished in the opportunity to write about other topics than the ones I stuck to on JPD Mom - work/family juggling stuff. 

 Mommy Blogger Topics...I Can Do That!

I wrote about some funny topics, some conversationsI overheard, an embarrassing conversation my daughter had about Heineken beer.  I was just a dabblin' in the whole Mommy Blogger culture, and I enjoyed it.  Then, about 2 months in I decided to write about something that was near and dear to my heart, something that had bothered me for years - SAHM's vs. Working Moms.  Oh, oh, oh what a shit storm that was!  I was telling stories of situations that had happened to me, myself and I.  Being a working Mom in my neck of the woods has not always been easy for me.  Often times other women have said odd things, strange things, and down right mean things.  My way of dealing with it was writing a blog post. 

Everyone got on board, either with me or against me.  I even made the major mistake of linking to a blog (a very nice SAHM who made homemade goodies for her kiddos) when just trying to say she was "like" some of the mothers in my neighborhood.  The community I was embracing had quickly turned on me, and I had to develop a thick skin.  I also learned the term flamed and life has never been the same since.  It was the infamous post that got me a ticket to Hollywood to meet and be on the now infamous Dr. Phil show. 

And That's The End

That post was by far probably my favorite one, it was the one I got the most comments and readers to discuss my post.  I even was able to meet some of my fans (snort, that sounds so ridiculous) at Blogher that year who knew of my post.  Small, blip in the blogging universe, but it was my little claim to fame. 

I have written for Silicon Valley Mom Blogs for two years and 4 months.  I have posted 52 posts and I do not shy away from any controversy....well most I jump right in with two left feet.  I felt like I could let my hair down a little on SV Mom Blog, pepper in a few naughty words, phrases and really get sarcastic. 

Early last week all of the writers received a heartfelt letter from our founder, - Silicon Valley Moms was to be no more.  The site was to be shut down July 1, 2010 for many reasons, most personal.  The one site that had grown to over 800 writers, 14 different sites around the country and even Canada.  After four years, it was coming to an end.

The Good with the Bad

For me, this has been a relief actually.  There was a two post a month requirement, and though that may not sound like a lot - it was.  I don't just write about anything, I agonize over each topic and I want to make sure that the post is at the least funny.  And, if nothing entertaining, funny or controversial happened to me, I had a hard time blogging. 

I was not that shocked about the closing actually, I started to think things were very slow around that blog.  I was not getting the comments I had gotten in the past, nor was I really feeling that good opinionated blog posts were the norm.   The old guard (seasoned bloggers from before my time) were quietly walking away and newer, greener writers were joining. 

Lastly, I really felt my posts were not jelling with the others.  When I would write about the ridiculousness of the Facebook Bra Color, or an offensive chain letter I got, others blogged about peeling a banana and their plastic surgery.  Not that those topics aren't interesting to some, they were not in the same genre as mine.  I was starting to question blogging and my writing.  I was starting to think that maybe my sense of humor and style of writing was on the way out.

Where to Go Now

So the good news is the approximately 50 blog posts are mine and I own them.  I will be posting them every Friday for those that did not um, read my fabulous Mommy Blogger posts (that was sarcasm....see the font?).  Even though my audience is smaller, and you will probably agree with more than disagree - I figure they are worth posting again.  And, if you are one of my regular fans....just move on and go read some other important Mommy blog post, like about cutting up an apple or um, a boob job.

Comments

[Kirsten]

Great post. I didn't know you were so famous. Unfortunately, I too, will have to find a place to post my more controversial content, like my recent job description post (What does it mean to be a successful woman, anyway?) on SVMoms. It was very fun to write and not easy, but also not so straightforward.

Doesn't seem to fit well on my health blog, either. At least I haven't figured out how to weave it in yet.

[April]

I think what I appreciated the most about being part of LA Moms was the variety! From SV Moms to Canada Moms, some stories were universal and others were extremely personal. So I don't think the variety of posts was a bad thing. And I'll miss the SV Moms group a lot!