You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take! — Wayne Gretsky
Come to find out I am not alone in observing that my pre-blog friends and family don’t read my blog posts much, but others whom I’m not even familiar with, find it interesting. Even people in over 75 other countries come here, I assume to check out rural living in the USA.
I suppose most people see blogs as a new kind of vanity press. I can see their point. Who cares about me and my life? But there are also over 18,000 visitors who have made over 40,000 views here. Who are they?
I’m sure some are simply nosy about the lives of others. Some may hope to leave city life behind and some day move to a rural area and build a solar home. I’d sure LOVE to hear from any of you!
The reason I started this blog three years ago, and the reason I put together my new bookwas to document our experience in leaving suburbia for a quieter, more economical, rural experience in sunny southern Colorado. I have always had very good reasons for writing my books. Of course I also just enjoy writing. I find it helps me with my recent brain injury.
My thought process and intent:
We are doing something very different for us. After living in or near cities all of our lives, we are going rural. I wonder if others are thinking about doing something similar? Perhaps they might enjoy reading about one couples’ authentic experience. Perhaps they would like to know more about designing a home around passive solar heating.Maybe they would like to know how well passive solar heating can work. Reading about the experience of another might encourage others or convince them not to take such risks so late in life. Either way they could benefit from our experience.
We are so glad we took on all the risk and uncertainty, however if you asked me three years ago I might not have agreed. But now I can highly recommend leaving city life behind for the quiet, wildlife watching and pure beauty of living close to nature.
If you never take a risk, you will never know for certain how well it can work out! That’s our best lesson from our own retirement experience…
P.S. For whatever reasons you find to come here and read, THANKS!
To purchase your own signed copies of any of my books, or if you have other questions, please e-mail me at: MidlifeCrisisQueen@gmail.com.
11 thoughts on “Are blogs a new form of vanity press?”
Hey Laura — such interesting thoughts! Maybe blogging is a new form of vanity press. On a different topic, I am not sure if I have mentioned it to you before, but wanted to tell you about Hometown Reads (disclosure) I work for the owner. Even if your city is not on there yet, enter in your info (should you choose to!) so they can let you know when it is — you get your own page once your area/city is up! http://www.hometownreads.com 🙂
Hi Laura it certainly takes courage to make the break but I’m sure you don’t regret it. Congratulations on writing your book and I do believe many are interested and would love to do what you have done but basically just aren’t brave enough. I found you through The Women of Midlife Facebook page so will be looking out for more of your articles. Have a great day! Sue from Sizzling Towards 60 & Beyond.
I was talking about this and your title made me laugh. On my blog today my husband read it and commented. Most of my family do not read it and very few nonblogging friends do but never comment. There are those of us who like to read other’s blog and we are not famous but informative or funny or interesting. To each there own!
We recently moved to the top of a mountain in Vermont and are resizing our life and our dreams. More in 5 months.
As far as vanity press? Blogging is more. Its a way to communicate when we’ve become so bad at it. No more quilting bees or Tuesday night get together’s, blogging is a way to see, express, and listen.
Adventures of the NEW??? Old Farts 
Hey Laura — such interesting thoughts! Maybe blogging is a new form of vanity press. On a different topic, I am not sure if I have mentioned it to you before, but wanted to tell you about Hometown Reads (disclosure) I work for the owner. Even if your city is not on there yet, enter in your info (should you choose to!) so they can let you know when it is — you get your own page once your area/city is up! http://www.hometownreads.com 🙂
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Thanks Paula but I actually live in the middle of nowhere now.
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Hi Laura it certainly takes courage to make the break but I’m sure you don’t regret it. Congratulations on writing your book and I do believe many are interested and would love to do what you have done but basically just aren’t brave enough. I found you through The Women of Midlife Facebook page so will be looking out for more of your articles. Have a great day! Sue from Sizzling Towards 60 & Beyond.
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Yes Sue. Finding the courage to do what we did was no small challenge…
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I was talking about this and your title made me laugh. On my blog today my husband read it and commented. Most of my family do not read it and very few nonblogging friends do but never comment. There are those of us who like to read other’s blog and we are not famous but informative or funny or interesting. To each there own!
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Yes Haralee! What a nice world we have created for ourselves. Who cares what anyone else thinks!
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Catchy title and one does wonder where all this blogging will lead. I admire your courage in leaving the city to live off the land.
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Well Pat we still need grocery stores, that’s for sure! But we have come to love the silence and isolation of escaping city life…
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We recently moved to the top of a mountain in Vermont and are resizing our life and our dreams. More in 5 months.
As far as vanity press? Blogging is more. Its a way to communicate when we’ve become so bad at it. No more quilting bees or Tuesday night get together’s, blogging is a way to see, express, and listen.
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So true Beth, and so well-said too!
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