Last week, I was interviewed by phone and in person by Elizabeth Kim of the Stamford Advocate, as part of a story on Stamford-area bloggers.
We were all looking forward to the story, which was published on the frontpage this morning.
Unfortunately, the reporter chose to (accurately) pull a quote from me which I totally regret.
When asked about the awkwardness of our blogging group actually meeting in person, I joked:
“The fact that we’re bloggers means that we have a lot more in common than we don’t. Our spouses don’t understand us. Our friends make fun of us. No one is especially encouraging.”
At the time the quote was just a lame effort at humor and self-deprecation - that none of us take ourselves too seriously. I also wanted to express the inherent camaraderie of blogging which made our face-to-face get-togethers so easy.
But the quote doesn’t represent my experience at all, its the freaking stereotype.
Our blog-and-grog doesn’t represent the lone blogger stereotype. Of our core group, we are mostly 30-something (and then some) college graduates with our own families, homes, and professional careers - equal parts women and men. Our reasons for blogging and choice of topics vary widely - and our friends and families not only support us but participate as well.
If anything, our group represents the evolution, acceptance, and legitimacy of local blogging.
Although parenting is a common theme in many of the blogs, our group is comprised of authors, corporate executives, small businessmen, magazine columnists and disk jockeys. Its not the Facebook set, or the MySpace set - and we stand apart from the 1-million-plus people a year who click-start a blog, post twice, and lose interest forever.
We’re people with stuff to say - even if its just some casual, relatable humor - and willing to put some of our personal time in each week to try to share it.
When it comes to my friends and family, lack of support has not been the case at all. Sure, once in a while someone will kid me about being a blogger (and pay the price for it) - but its rare, and always good-natured, and doesn’t bother me in the least.
Similarly, our monthly blog-grog has grown to include some fans, friends, and spouses as well - none are there out of indifference, they are all there because they want to be included.
My friends and family have been nothing less than totally supportive of my blogging, suggesting tips, stories, and photos - writing comments - and some have even asked for help with blogs of their own. I mean, my wife has let me do this for 8 months - how much more support could I ask for?
This morning, my mother emailed to insist that she was certainly supportive of my blogging (except she didn’t like the post where I drank too much).
I guess it’s not unusual for an interviewee to cringe at the quote a reporter chose to print out of 20 minutes of interviewing - but I made my own bed, and I’m sorry to my fellow bloggers, friends, family, readers, and Ms Kim. As I mentioned, we don’t take ourselves too seriously, but in hindsight, I would have preferred to have represented us more accurately.
7 responses so far ↓
1 meg robustelli // Aug 4, 2008 at 2:12 pm
hey chris. you really put that so nicely. thanks for pointing out that most of us have something worthwhile to share with the community and that we’re not just a bunch of wonks with online diaries. hey at least you got a mention in the article! not all of us did.
2 Ludmilla // Aug 4, 2008 at 2:31 pm
Of course we support you! What else do we have to do all day at work except wait for a posting? I’m even checking in on my first day of unemployment! wait….maybe that’s why I’m unemployed?? I better start a blog….
3 patty // Aug 4, 2008 at 2:53 pm
I thought the Advocate article was a generic me-too piece; the Stamford Times did a far better job.
4 Stamford Talk // Aug 4, 2008 at 3:34 pm
There IS some truth to all four parts of your statement
–”The fact that we’re bloggers means that we have a lot more in common than we don’t.” That’s true- we all have a drive to put our words in print on the internet. We’re opinionated.
–”Our spouses don’t understand us.” This is probably the least accurate, but you knew that- and there is some truth to the fact that unless the other spouse is a writer, they don’t get our writing desire. (They can still be supportive, as I think all of our spouses probably are.)
–”Our friends make fun of us.” Not really, but they certainly don’t care about my blog as much as I do. They don’t care about Stamford as much as I do, either. I’m OK with that bc I do have readers that like my blog. Even FIVE readers take an interest, that keeps me going bc it means other people do care about the subject I care about.
–”No one is especially encouraging.” I always laugh because although my husband reads my blog every day, he almost NEVER comments on it. No “Great post today.” Not even, “I read your post.” It cracks me up and I’m always pleasantly surprised when I realize I don’t rely on his compliments. I’m encouraged by the people who comment on my blog and the readers who email to say they find my blog useful. I do feel encouraged when a few times a month, my dad or sister says they thought a post was funny. (I’ve always been the type to take little compliments and make them last.)
Don’t beat yourself up about your off-hand comment! I think anything that starts a discussion (we’ll talk about this more at the next happy hour!) is a worthwhile comment.
PS Nice pic of me and my best friend, Mr. Ketchup. I love him so much. He was making me swoon that day.
5 always home and uncool // Aug 4, 2008 at 3:35 pm
No worries. At least she listed your URL.
At least I don’t look plastered in the photo of me you posted. Perplexed and itchy, but not plastered. Cheers!
6 betsy // Aug 4, 2008 at 7:19 pm
Blogging for 8 months! your wife must be very supportive. I bet you couldn’t have done it without her…
7 Lizzie // Aug 5, 2008 at 5:38 pm
I liked the time you made someone pay the price because she was acting like an ass.
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