Sure, You Can Do That

/ Ally Bean

“In vino veritas est.” ~ Pliny the Elder

“God bless the honest, for they shall make my days more entertaining.” ~ Ally Bean

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As I have mentioned here before I am a good listener.  I am also the “go to” person in my social group for how to start a blog.  And, as you have probably already figured out, I get tickled by the darnedest things.  To wit, the following real life vignette.

An acquaintance, who I see about once every 3 years or so, asked me about how to start a blog.  We were at a fancy reception and there was much wine being served.

I told her my standard response* to her question.  She seemed intrigued and started asking a bunch more questions about blogging.  In the flow of the conversation I told her that I thought that she’d be good at blogging because she is smart and articulate.  [Which all bloggers are, right?]

Of course, I wanted to know what she thought that she might be blogging about, so I asked her.  Knowing a little bit about her I figured that she’d say something like: my kids, my love of interior design, tips on antiquing, tips on cooking, my conservative political opinions.  Subjects that I know she cares about.

But what I did not expect her to say is the most unanticipated, yet delightful, reason for blogging that anyone has told me to date.  She told me that she didn’t care what subject she wrote about.  That didn’t matter to her at all.  No, what she wanted to do in her blog was to: Tell people what to do.  Her way.  So that they wouldn’t bug her with their stupidness any more.

Now this is an approach to blogging and a point of view, which you have to admit, is both authentic and could be fun to read about, subjects be damned.  Plus, I suspect, that in our heart of hearts there isn’t one blogger [or person] out there who hasn’t thought the same thing, but just never had the amount of wine necessary the gumption to say it.  So clearly.  And so loudly.

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*  When you start a blog you need to consider three basic questions.

  1. Do you have something to say?  Can you say it in a way that other people will understand? Hmm?
  2. Where will you put your blog?  That is, when you decide on your platform will you pay money for it or will it be free?
  3. Will you commit to showing up to your blog on a regular basis?  If not, you’ll tick off your friends and readers. And you don’t want that, do you?

19 thoughts on “Sure, You Can Do That”

  1. Sounds like someone’s been ticking her off. After you blast off, you can run out of topics although people can be pretty dumb. I have written about drive-through protocol several times and everyone isn’t reading it especially the dimwit in front of me at Starbucks this morning.

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    • kate, I think that you nailed it. I’ve no idea about the exact nature of the stupidness that was bugging her, but she had something in mind. No one has ever been that blunt with me about why he or she wanted to start a blog. I just loved it. And haven’t stopped chuckling about it.

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  2. Well, for every opinion out there on how to do things right there are people who will follow and loudly agree. She could be the queen of angry people! You do have to kind of chuckle about her rationale.

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    • Zazzy, I have no doubt that she’d have followers. She has opinions and knows how to say them. But her rationale made me laugh. Most people are more circumspect about such motives.

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  3. I was slightly cranky and snarky when I started my blog. I have pulled back from that because I didn’t like the tone that I was setting or who I was becoming from it. I believe your blog has the ability to evolve with you and it is an interesting to go back into the archives to reflect on what you have written in the past.

    Is it the same person? Or someone who is trying to move forward?

    I also understand the importance of having a niche for your blog. But for me it doesn’t work. It’s my space and I will do whatever I want with it.

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  4. Oh, I so want to read her blog if she starts one! Such a great reason to start a blog, but I bet, as Belle commented. her blog(or she) will evolve. Probably both!

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    • Margaret, I know. She is a smart woman so what she says makes sense. But she doesn’t suffer fools easily… which could make for some good blog reading… if you’re partial to snark!

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    • philosophermouse, I imagine that her attitude would draw in the readers. But I have to wonder what would happen in her real life if she is too forthcoming about people and things. Snarky blog posts have a way of coming back to bite you on your real life behind.

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  6. God . . . I just LOVE Pliny the Elder quotes. Especially when I am on a conference call with no hope for survival in sight except for mentally stealing away to read my Beanie’s bloggie. Thinking of you.

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    • Really? I never knew that you were such a Pliny fan boy. What I think that you like about that quote is that it mentions wine… which would make any late night conference call much more interesting!

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  7. Oh, I get that, totally. 🙂
    I love telling people what to do, writing cranky letters, wearing my heart on my sleeve.

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    • magpiemusing, it really was the best answer I’ve ever heard. Most people have all these elaborate plans about interesting [to them] subjects and lofty goals, but not this woman. She went straight to the crux of it.

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