On Sharing and Oversharing

Blogging is such a funny part of my life. It's ostensibly a way for me to track my progress with my horse, but obviously I could do that just as easily with a calendar and a sharpie.

And I chose to do it here.

So there's more to it than just the static "this, then that" dry routine wrap-ups. I like people (usually), I like interaction, and I value the many friends I've made through the blogging world. For me, blogging is so much more than a training log.

There's a tension to it though--part of being public about this aspect of my life invites the internet to comment on it. For the most part, I'm pretty easy-come, easy-go about the unsolicited advice which is very definitely a part of blogging. I get lots of it. Most of it is well-intentioned. Some is humorously bad. Some is spot on. Some is malicious and/or crazy.

lil side eye for that

At the end of the day, that's just the cost of doing business (as it were) in a public forum. People say things. If I can't handle people saying things, then I need to not be quite as open and public about what I share.

Plus, I'll be the first to tell you that I love blog comments. It still amazes me that so many friends, strangers, and future-friends take the time out of their day to read what I have to say, and share their insights. Even rather-misguided comments usually give me a good laugh.

always find the fun

What's more, I am occasionally contacted by people (some I know, some I don't) who tell me how my silly horse blog helped them through a rough patch in their own life, horsey or otherwise. That's not something I take lightly. I aspire to be honest about the reality of horses and life as an adult amateur and the knowledge that it resonates with another human being across the world is one of those moments where I realize just how not-alone I am.

I am making some different choices in my life right now, and that has me questioning the hows and whys of my usage of social media. There are certain things I'm tired of sharing, that I want to hold on to as "mine and no one else's".

I go back and forth on blogging--it definitely takes time and energy to do well. Both of those are at a premium in my life right now. It also involves a level of vulnerability and honesty that I'm okay with some days and not others.

always ok with this tail tho

Ultimately though, the reason I'm still here is the same reason I started blogging in the first place--the people. Life is too hard to live in a vacuum, so having people come alongside and say "hey, I've been there too" is what keeps me going.

So thank you, Blogosphere.