Y’all, I’m about to celebrate a blogging anniversary. Though I have been blogging since January of 2007, I migrated to WordPress and my own domain in April. It’s been quite a “ride.” During the course of this blogging experience, I’ve learned a lot of things about it, about people, and about me. For this Thursday, I will offer you Thirteen Things I’m Learning From Blogging.

1. The world will not end if I do not post to this blog every day. I did post daily, and sometimes more than once a day in the beginning. For some reason, I thought everyone would go away if I didn’t post. It’s more important to have some balance in my world and to have experiences in the real world for writing inspiration. If I write posts you enjoy, you will come back to read.

2. That said, I do not have to join every “blogging movement.” For instance The NaBloPoMo (where you try to post every day for a month) is not for me. My inspiration can’t be forced, in fact if I try to force myself to write…I can’t think of a darned thing to say. I’ve decided it’s better not to post at all, if I’m just going to write mindless drivel.

Well, more mindless than it usually is.

3. I’ve learned that blogging is much like my storytelling. I’ve always told beginning storytellers to tell stories that they like. If you are writing about something that you don’t enjoy, you will never make your audience enjoy it.

4. The key rule in blogging, at least for me, is speak in your own voice. I get a much better response from all of y’all when I talk like myself. When I’m my regular silly self, instead of trying to write like an “author,” you seem to come in to read more often. I try to write to you like we are sitting on the porch on a lazy afternoon sipping “sweetea” and snapping peas together.

5. I’ve learned not to obsess over Technorati ranking and blog statistics. They aren’t as important as we are made to believe. For a fleeting moment, I had enough Technorati links (500+) to be able to splash that pink badge for the “A list” on my sidebar. The links went away, but you didn’t. I have many more readers now than I did then. I’m talking three and four hundred a day more.

6. People are amazing. If you ask for help among this blogging community, you will quickly be overwhelmed. I started that little Share A Square project, and received more than 10,000 granny squares to make afghans for children with cancer. Visit the afghan gallery, I think I’ve pictured 92 of them there. I can’t thank y’all enough.

7. Slowly, but surely, I’m learning that there is only so much one person can do. I can’t manage a business, run a household, enjoy a family life, write for a blog, coordinate a charity, and visit every blog I know leaving comments. I read in feed, and try to pop in once in awhile, but I do have to sleep now and then (if the hot flashes and the cats will let me). If I am not making comments, it doesn’t mean I don’t love you. It just means I need a secretary.

8. Through the process of realizing the above, I’m learning to forgive myself and just move on. Time spent feeling guilty is time wasted. As Sanjay Singh said, “It’s not that I don’t have a conscience, it’s just that why should I feel guilty for my present crimes, when my past ones are so much worse?”

9. My lottery numbers will pay off before my Google ads will. I know there are people who make a lot of money blogging. I could probably make decent money if I chose to worry about keywords and ad placement. I don’t. I’m here to write.

10. Those people who are successful bloggers often have a “niche.” I don’t fit into any definable niche. I can’t call myself a “mommy blogger.” I’m a mom and I blog, but my kids are grown and I don’t tell you much about them. I’m not a “technical blogger,” and lucky for you that I don’t try to write about that. I’m not a “crafter.” I’m not a “writer.” I’m not a “humor” blog, because I try to make you cry sometimes. I might be a “boomer,” except I found out over at BoomJ.com that I’m “Generation Jones,” whatever the heck that is. I guess I’m “blog soup.” I just keep adding more to the pot and it’s a different flavor every day.

11. Think before you speak. I already knew that, but it’s definitely been reinforced by blogging! Before you hit the “publish” button on your blog, stop and give it time to breathe. Once you publish it, it’s on the web. You can delete it, and you can change it. But, if it’s in someone’s feed, they see it just as you published it the first time. Make sure you are saying exactly what you want to say before it launches. I try to walk away for 15 minutes, then re-read the post before I publish it.

12. You people procrastinate as much as I do! I’ve got a writing contest going on, and every doggone one of you are going to wait until the last minute to try to win the $30 in the This Post Blows My Dress Up “Scared Silly” contest. Actually, there are quite a few entries listed on that link above. Check them out…they are great.

13. There are some incredibly talented bloggers writing out there, and the best place to find them is by joining a meme like Thursday Thirteen.

Y’all have a great Thursday.