We are such story weavers!
Sep 8th, 2008 by Cathy Jo Nelson
Weaving
A blog is a story to weave
I blog because I feel the need to share, vent, rejoice, worry, and look for collective wisdom. I have not encouraged a great many to jump into the blogging world, because in all honesty, I highly detest blog-faders, those who begin a blog because it is just the new thing to do–and oh so 2.0 cool to say “I have a blog!”and then soon after abandon it. I caution workshop attendees that it is definitely not for everyone.
If you write it they will come
I have posted before of some of my favorite reads in the blogosphere that are school library focused, and I have to share tonight about one I have recently added to my reader.
I am a blogger, therefore a storyteller
But I do blog. I am a blogger. It feeds a need in me for some odd reason. Yes, often it feels like I am talking to self, saying, “Self, just who are you sharing this with, and who do you think cares?” But I have to say that my readers really do feed that need in me to be heard, especially by those who are like minded. We job-alike people are typically singletons in our buildings, and so the only way we can get relief sometimes is to seek out those like us, usually outside the workday and outside our physical buildings. Blogging feeds my need in this department, and I frequently check for interesting school librarian blogs to add to my reader. I love to think outside the box, laugh at myself, have my thinking challenged, and much, much more. So blogging is for me, personally and professionally.
Meet my friend, a new blogger
So I write tonight to share a blog that is relatively new and really speaks to me. The blog is titled “Books, Bytes, and Grocery Store Feet,” and the title in itself has a unique story that let’s you peek into the soul of this blogger. Shannon Dean Wham, friend and colleague from Clinton, SC has begun his own forum for sharing his thoughts and opinions, and since I discovered it (actually he shared with me after he jumped in, inviting me to read) I feel compelled to invite you to read him too. Look at my invitation:
So, I invite you to read his blog–all of it. He has a gift that I had a feeling about. When he posts on the SCASL list, his passion for his job comes through loud and clear, and he is really an advocate for our profession. Dean makes me laugh, and awakens feelings and emotions I did not know could be touched through reading a blog post. His wit, humor, and unwarranted self-criticisms are honest, refreshing, and at times brutally honest.
DABA: Deserves a Bigger Audience
Scott McLeod of Dangerously Irrelevant for a while had readers nominate bloggers who deserve a bigger audience. I even nominated one that won (like Carolyn Foote, high school librarian who is still w/o a library but serving her
The Bloggosphere
school well.) I am not sure Scott is still doing this recognition on his blog, but by golly Shanon Dean Wham certainly deserves a bigger audience. Read him. I promise you will not regret it. And you will leave glad you strayed over there to read. He is magical with his words. A bit wordy like me, but that’s okay. He is worth reading.
What do I think, you ask?
So, Mr. Wham asks me what I think. Shannon Dean my friend, I am more than in awe. Job well done, my friend. Thanks for inviting me. I hope it’s okay if I invite the world.
Attribution:
www.flickr.com/photos/58117789@N00/162024723
www.flickr.com/photos/73645804@N00/2102790208
Hi Cathy,
Thanks for the suggestion to subscribe to Shannon’s blog. His writing style is remarkable and I look forward to reading more.
Keep those suggestions coming in!
Doug
Thanks for sharing Cathy. I’m always glad to add another South Carolinian to my reader. I’ll admit I don’t read too many emails (particularly responses) on our SCASL listserv as I can’t stand the back and forth bickering and nonsense that goes on (ie: the political stuff right now). I do remember reading a post awhile back from Shannon about how he came to be named Shannon that I found fascinating. I look forward to reading more from him …
As for your statement about “bloggers” who jump in to join the trend, sometimes I feel that describes me. I love my blog as a way to share resources and information. I’m hesitant to write more personal posts, especially about my school, for fear of saying the wrong thing. I also don’t want to write too much about my personal life as that’s what I want it to be, MY personal life. Plus, I just don’t know what to write about, and when I do write, I can be quite long winded and deviate onto tangents. I guess I feel who cares what I have to say!? or that they’ll think “who does she think she is?” The other factor that keeps me from blogging is that I forget! It’s just not a habit yet.
@My friend Doug – I will be ever-vigilant for LMS voices tht ring true in my ears, and be more than happy to share them here.
@Heather – Oh my you could be describing me in your fears about yourself. Shannon will really d a nice voice to the mix I think. i hope he sticks with it! Doug Johnson is going to read him, and paid him a nice comment.
Just wanted to say that I appreciated this post.I’m not in schools or libraries but work with young people and have picked up on some of the subjects you post about. Heathers’ comments are very similar to how I feel although I think as I keep blogging I gain more confidence to express whatever I want.