Friday, May 10, 2013

What Am I, Chopped Liver?

I've mentioned before (but not enough) that I have a brother in law, in his 50's, with a developmental disability called autism.

This has impacted his life, the life of his parents (his mother, still alive, still cares for him in her 80's), the lives of his siblings, and the spouses of his siblings.  We continue to struggle with various issues, as his mother ages, and we found ourselves (my spouse and I) long distance caretakers of two.

I've wanted to tell his story (and ours), both past, present and future, and perhaps use my blog to network with people in similar situations.  So many autism blogs are written by parents of young children or even young adults, which is fine (more than fine - those voices deserve to be heard) but I don't know how many other are in my situation.  And, it is a complex situation. Those families with children, I hope, will have it better when their children grow up.

There's at least one support group for adult siblings of those with developmental disabilities, but, as far as I know, nothing for their spouses.  As we would say in my native New York City "what am I, chopped liver?"

So, onward to the 2013 WordCount Blogathon.  This blogathon requires, of its participants, 30 straight days of posting.  No days off.  No opportunities to catch up. There are some nice prizes the participants compete for.  There's a haiku day, a guest post day, and several other (all voluntary) theme days.

The 2011 WordCount Blogathon was the impetus for the growth of my blog.  The 2012 WordCount Blogathon got me onto Twitter.  I highly recommend you join in the fun and register for the 2013 WordCount Blogathon.

But I haven't signed up yet, and here's why.

I don't know if I want to start a new blog. Can I write enough material for 30 days?  Can I find myself blogging daily on two different blogs?  I work full time, and this would be a lot of stress.  (Even trying to figure out if I want to have blog #2 on a different platform, and if I want to have a second Twitter account, if I want to set up a new Facebook fan page - all stress.)

On the other hand, it would challenge me.  Since I've been blogging for over two years straight, there really isn't no challenge in just blogging daily.  There has to be more for me to continue my growth, and doing two blogs would be that challenge.

So, I will reach out to my readers.   What would give me the most benefit for the least amount of extra work?  Should I try the second blog and compete only with it? Should I try to compete with both blogs? Or should I be safe and just register this blog, the blog I've always competed with, and do the second blog on the side (perhaps linking my first blog to it in some way during the competition.)

I don't want to be chopped liver.  I don't want others in my shoes to be chopped liver.  I want our voices to be heard.

11 comments:

  1. Honestly, I would just stick to the one blog. It's so much easier to just refresh, reinvent, and rededicate yourself to the platform you've already established. :) Maybe give your site a facelift to get you pumped, but go for it with this one!! :)

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  2. Why don't you pick a topic you are interested in learning but don't know much about and blog on that topic for the 30 days? then you would have the challenge and not have to change blogs.

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    1. Robert, that's something I would not have thought of. Thank you!

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    2. Facelift - I've had this theme for over two years now. Might not be a bad idea. Thank you!

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  3. Both good points. I didn't start my second blog till the UBC was ending.
    Either way, it might be good to plan out what you are doing for the month. I got some great ideas from Michelle Shaeffer and her post about planning your blog REALLY helped!
    Good luck with what ever you decide. :)

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    1. Michelle S. rocks, doesn't she? As it happens, the WordCount Blogathon is run by a Michelle - and she rocks, too! I still have all Michelle S's emails from the last Challenge and should go through them for additional inspiration. Thanks for your input!

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  4. Hi Alana, don't take on another blog, I have 2 but only work on one, any more stretches the devotion and kills the passion :)

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    1. Cher, I can easily see how keeping two blogs up and doing your best for both would be a major stretch -especially your blog, which requires a lot of research (and passion). Thank you, too, for your input. You have all helped me make up my mind.

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  5. I wouldn't suggest writing a different blog. I wrote two in April and most of my joy of writing nearly vanished. Why do you blog? For satisfaction--not to compete, to overstretch, or to impress others. Robert's idea is a good one. However, I like your blog just the way it is.

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    1. Gee, Francene thank you! As I mentioned above, all of you kind enough to comment have helped me make up my mind. Thank you, all.

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  6. Alana,
    I can't imagine how stressful it would be to write on two blogs, especially if you're already working full time! I'll chime in to say I like Robert's idea above! Don't spread yourself too thin!

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