Since I first started this blog in April 2012 I have come a long way. At first I told no one that I was running a blog.
Blogging takes a lot of dedication and it’s only recently that I’ve come to understand that. I’ve always loved to write and since running this blog I’ve been able to put it to practical uses.
Because I read so much I’ve been called ‘sad’ and asked if I have a life. My response? I think it’s sad that people don’t read. They don’t understand why I read because they don’t do it themselves. If I played a sport or an instrument then I would be treated differently but because reading is considered ‘geeky’ it is looked down on.
I know that Rebecca wrote a post about this a while ago. I”m not ashamed to tell people about my blog but I know that if I did tell them they wouldn’t understand me.
Today, teenagers associate the world blog with Tumblr. I’m not going to start bashing it because I use Tumblr myself, although not as often as I used to.
Tumblr isn’t always a proper form of blogging, in my opinion. I spend hours writing and thinking up content for my blog and so it annoys me when people say that they have successful and popular blogs Tumblr blogs when all they do is reblog pictures. There’s no real skill to this. All it is, is the click of a few buttons and for someone like me who works hard, it is disheartening. It can make you wonder why you’re putting the effort in when you could be doing hardly anything. At the moment I’m fine with writing discussions and reviews but there will come a point where I become too busy with school and will have to cut back.
I think people should recognise the work we do because it can be really tough! Sometimes we deserve a little more praise than we are given.
So the next time you see someone’s blog post and decided to ignore it, just think about this: if you had taken the time to write a long post, would you want to be thanked and recognised? I know what my answer would be!
One minute of your time could make a person’s day.
12 Comments
Bella
5 February, 2013 at 5:28 pmI totally get what you mean about Tumblr! Also, I don’t mind telling my close friends about my blog, and if they read then they think it’s cool, but I would never tell the ‘popular’ people at school because they’d just laugh and make me feel bad for doing something that I love. It really *is* sad! This is a great post, Lucy!
Amber @ The Mile Long Bookshelf
5 February, 2013 at 5:35 pmGreat post! I agree with everything you said. I haven’t told anyone at school about my blog but if they wanted to I guess they could come across it really easily on Google or Facebook.
A lot of people don’t even know what a blog is…I once mentioned to someone that I had a blog and their answer was ‘Do you mean your Facebook profile?’.
Amber xx
Zoe Crook
5 February, 2013 at 7:06 pmBrilliant post, Lucy! There are only 3 people at school who know about my blog and that it is only because my mum told them, haha. I wouldn’t dare tell the “popular” people either.. I don’t want them googling it and making me feel bad the next day -.- I’m not ashamed either, I am proud of what I have done for my blog and I am so happy that I have joined the brilliant world of blogging.
I totally agree that it is sad people don’t read. When I read at school, people look at me like I’m a boring, lame nerd. They don’t understand. 😛
At least you’re here to keep me sane 😀
Thanks for the interesting post! BOOK AND BLOGGING NERDS FTW! <3
Rebecca-Books
5 February, 2013 at 7:18 pmI’m glad you agree about Tumblr – it’s only blogging if someone uses it to write posts – not just reblogging photo after photo.
When I was still at school, only 2 or 3 people know about the blog and that was more than I wanted. However, since I’ve been at college, lots more people know, I guess because there’s no hierarchy of popularity any more, I don’t mind so much if people find out. It’s weird really with the whole secrecy thing because bloggers have become quite desirable really with HUGE bloggers in the fashion world etc. so you’d think people would be like ‘THAT IS THE COOLEST THING EVER’.
Weird. Great discussion Lucy!
Rebekah Campbell
5 February, 2013 at 8:07 pmYeah even after school people still have that “huh” look when you say you like to read. They tend to get over it pretty quickly though 🙂
Great post, Lucy, it is a lot of hard work to run a blog but let’s be honest, we’ve got the better end of the deal 😉
Maya @ The Book Nook
6 February, 2013 at 11:34 amAbsolutely!
Ebony Black Lines
6 February, 2013 at 6:14 pmLucy that is sooo true! Whenever i tell people i don’t have a tv and I read and do art instead they’re like, “wth?! who reads?!” o.O x
Eileen
7 February, 2013 at 4:01 amI totally agree! I mean, all the kids make fun of my YouTube and my blog (those who know, but people are tattletales) and they totally don’t understand the HOURS or practice and time you put into doing a cover or writing a review and just READING or learning something >.< Honestly, I’d like to see THEM try to keep up a blog for years that posted at least three times a week and did all of the things a regularly functioning blog did >.< THEN WHO'D BE LAUGHING? HUH? THAT’S RIGHT. I WOULD. BECAUSE SOME KIDS ARE JUST DOUCHENUGGETS. (Not you guys though! I love you guys!) Goodbye. PS—AWESOME POST! 😀
Sophie_Louise
7 February, 2013 at 6:45 pmThis is an amazing post Lucy! Oh I’ve had the name calling too-most likely: nerd. It’s been said I don’t have a life but yet, If I’m happy and smiling isn’t that the good thing? I’m a lot happier because of my blog and the fact that books come through the post than so many other girls in my class. An email, comment or book always cheers me up! I really enjoy Tumblr and I love the no-effort needed attitude and just the laidback fun of it. It’s an easy-going Blogger. But yes, I get what you mean. More respect for bloggers needed! WE NEED TO START A PETITION!
Sophie:)
Bookaholic 007
8 February, 2013 at 8:43 amBrilliant post!
I haven’t really ever been called a nerd before, I straight out say that I’m a book geek and people don’t make comments. When I moved back from England to Africa, I was so glad to be back, I had been three years in England and felt like an outcast because I always use to sit in the library at break and even my close friends didn’t like reading that much. But luckily when I came back to Africa my class was great! There were only 12 kids in it, and reading was greatly encouraged! Most of the girls liked reading yet I did find I couldn’t really talk to them about books, which sucked. But they loved my enthusiasm for reading and them and my teacher would always laugh with me about how excited I get for books 😀
And I also had a lot of support from the kids about my blog, and they said it was awesome I had one and then I’d be like, “Why thank you” :p
And whenever people say they don’t like reading I pat them on the back and say, “Sorry to hear that” :p and then I hold out Divergent to them 😀
Clover
15 February, 2013 at 12:52 pmIt was an entire year before I told my husband that I had a blog. I’ve been doing this for 7 years and I still have some actual friends I see every day who don’t know about it. If certain family members found out about my blog I think that I would instantly stop blogging. It’s hard keeping my blogging life and my personal life apart but for me, I need to do this.
Nina @ Death Books and Tea
25 February, 2013 at 9:38 pmYour thoughts about tumblr-I agree. It’s obvious how much of a complete addict I am to it, but I still think of it as my side thing, my fun thing, because it doesn’t require much work. I think people at my school think I’m mad for taking all the time in the midst of all the work we have to do, and they really don’t care about the reading thing. I love your discussions!