Turning Forty-Two Tuesday: A Retrospective

I started this blog, or, rather, a version of this blog, in February 2007. When I was but a mere sprite of 35. I had absolutely no idea what I was doing, it was just that everyone in my former writing community  was leaving to start their own blogs. It seemed to be weird out here on the internet without a built in community. . .I mean who on earth would read my blog? How would anyone find it?

Some days I still don't know how to answer those questions.

I went into this not knowing that there was such a thing as a mommy blogging community, let alone what SEO and personal branding were. I just wanted to write and have other people read it as quickly as possible; I was that lonely and overwhelmed with having had 2 kids, quitting my teaching job and moving halfway across the country in the span of less than two years.

That's what my kids looked like when this blog started. 

When I started blogging, I wanted a community (aka people going through the same stuff I was) and writing practice. Somewhere along the way I became aware of and then fell in love with blogging for its own sake. Except that my form of blogging was a bit more like a way of ranting. Especially after I started writing for a content company and for various other sites; my blog turned into the place where I didn't have to follow rules or deadlines or expectations. 

Which is great for some people. Some people can just share their lives through their blogs  and it's inspiring and beautiful and heartbreaking and moving. But blogging so freely has taught me something very important; my innermost thoughts are pretty evil. I am kind of a bitch. 

I need rules. Standards. Expectations. 

I'm not about to turn this blog into one of those that exists only for giveaways or pin-worthy crafts, I promise. I will not stop fucking swearing. But I'm going to (try to) stop ranting. I'm going to (maybe) share crafts that involve the kids doing all the work and the mom sitting in front of the computer, where she belongs. I might share some reading tips and other info from my former profession. Hell, maybe I'll even ask Hot Guy to share a recipe once in a while. 

I'm thinking snarky movie reviews and TV show recaps. I'm thinking practical and sarcastic advice for when your 4 year old calls someone an asshole. I'm thinking my rants and deep reflections on my inner angst belong in my journal, not on a website prospective employers might look at. 

At least until the next election cycle. 

What do you guys think?