Amy Lu's View

Happy Birthday to my blog! As of January 27, 2022, my blog is 8 years old! 

Or maybe it’s more appropriate to say it’s the 8th Anniversary of my Blog. The traditional gift for an 8th Anniversary is bronze–which feels rather appropriate. After all, bronze medals are usually given for 3rd place, and while I don’t think my blog is first rate, I might say it’s third rate (at least if there are only four blogs by middle-aged white ladies in the running?)

Whether blogs celebrate birthdays or anniversaries, imagine an “Entertainment Tonight” style fluff piece, with a very enthusiastic TV personality, to publicize it.

Blogger Tonight Host: Wow, eight years of blogging, you must be so proud! What an accomplishment!

Me: (humble with an “aw-schucks”) Well, yes I am. I love writing, and I’m glad I’ve been able to stick with writing this blog for 8 years.

Host: Yes, eight years! How many posts have you written?

Me: This is actually my 350th post! 

Host! Wow, a nice solid number! That’s an average of 43 posts per year–that’s at least one a week!

Me: I admit, once I realized my anniversary, or birthday, er blogversary? or whatever, that my 8th year milestone was approaching, I tried hard to make sure I hit a number that felt aesthetically pleasing–500 would have been cool, but that was way out of reach (self-deprecating chuckle). 

Host: Now you keep referring to “your blog” but haven’t you actually had at least two blogs? If my interns have done their research, didn’t you actually launch the blog “Hotter Than a Pepper Sprout” on January 27, 2014, followed by this “Amy-Lu’s View” which started on November 11, 2017?

Me: Wow, your interns are good! Yes, I’ve technically had two different blogs on two different platforms, but I consider that a re-branding more than a new blog. Truthfully, I moved from Google’s Blogger to WordPress thinking that WordPress would be easier to use and make my blog feel more up-to-date, but WordPress–at the least the free version–kind of sucks. 

Host: Hmm, okay, but didn’t you even have a blog before that? Didn’t you get your start as a blogger with a rather controversial little blog about being a librarian…

Me: (cutting in)…whoa, whoa! I was told you weren’t going to ask about this? (grumbling) This is supposed to be a “Blogger Tonight” fluff piece for goodness sake…Ah yes, I did have an earlier, rather ill-conceived blog in my youth that did have a lot of content about working in a public librarian, but that is no longer available to the public (mumbling)…I HOPE…

Host: Very interesting! Any other skeletons in your blogging closet?

Me: Well, I wouldn’t call it a “skeleton” but I also had a very angsty, emotionally-intense blog about dealing with my mom’s death. It was very cathartic to write and good free therapy, but I don’t think even I would want to revisit that–too painful.

Host: (tearing up a big and conveying big sympathy) Okay, let’s focus on the present…why do you blog?

Me: I do periodically blog about my blog–I know, how meta– so I may have covered this all before, but primarily, I just like to write. And while I think I’m pretty realistic and don’t expect that many people will read my blog, I like the possibility that they could. Of course I journal, too, and that definitely has its own value, but I like the challenge of sharing my ideas in a way that might be of interest to others in a way that feels appropriate to share. 

Host: How interesting!

Me: I guess that need to share and be seen is just another side of my drive to perform. 

Host: How perceptive!

Me: Blogging also helps me feel like I’ve accomplished something…I can look at a post and say, “Hey, I did that!” In fact, reviewing old posts in preparation for this interview has made me feel really happy with what I’ve been able to create. And, unlike some other things I like to do, it’s something I can mostly control…I don’t have to depend on other people or external circumstance to blog. Failed auditions or pandemics or whatever can’t stop me from blogging!

Host: That’s inspiring!

Me: But I really love how grounded blogging makes me feel. If I go too long without blogging, I start feeling angsty and antsy. Blogging helps me feel like I’m making some order out of the chaos of my ideas, and that in some small way I’m holding on to precious, ephemeral thoughts, feelings and experiences. As I wrote in my very first blog, “ Life seems to go by in such a whirlwind and maybe if I take a little time to write about it I will be a little more aware and reflective.” Having this eight year record of my life is really pretty incredible, and I’ve been surprised by how much I like many of posts. I’ve definitely had several “Wow, I wrote THAT?! It’s pretty damn good” reactions to posts I’ve completely forgotten about.

Host: Whoa, my mind is blown!!! Let’s pull this back to more concrete topics a bit…So what do you blog about?

Me: I guess I follow the old adage to write what you know, ha-ha…so I usually just write mostly about what I’m doing or thinking. Depending on what’s going on in my life, lots of posts about and inspired by running or theater or church online coffee house, frequently something about my mom, and drinking and food are always tried and true topics. I’ve learned to be very careful when writing about work, and I definitely stay away from politics or most current events because I really don’t have anything helpful to add to those conversations.

Host: What’s the hardest thing about blogging?

Me: To misquote Buffy…just doing it! But going along with your previous question, finding new things to blog about, or new things to say about perennial favorites. And when it comes to an individual post, coming up with a catchy title is super hard, and I always struggle over a zingy ending. 

Host: How would you describe your blogging voice? 

Me: Slightly slurred! LOL–I mostly want my blog to sound conversational, like I’m talking to (or maybe at) my reader. Me, but perhaps slightly wittier because I have a little more time to think about it. But I don’t want to take too much time in writing–I’m okay that my posts are a little half-assed because I’d rather get something out there rather than agonize over it being perfect. And I want to be funny but also honest but not too troubled–I don’t want anyone to feel like they have to help me get professional help because of something I’ve written. And I don’t know if this is really about voice…but I definitely start many sentences with and, but, however, so…I’m trying to be more judicious about that. And…I love parentheses! I think they definitely capture my tangential way of thinking and all the asides that happen in my head. 

Host: How has your blog changed through the years?

Me: The biggest difference I’m aware of is I try to write shorter posts–well, not counting this post. 

Host: What are some of your favorite posts?

Me: The one that jumps to my mind first is actually one of my oldest that I wrote after Robin Willaims death, Grab That Styrofoam Egg While You Can (peppersprout.blogspot.com). For a more recent  post, I really like The Ballad of Colleen–the structure is quite a bit like this post!

Host: Amy, this has been just delightful! I could talk to you for hours, but I need to move on to my interview with Pete Davidson. Any final thoughts to share?

Me: Who is Pete Davidson?…but I want to send a huge thank you to anyone who has ever read one of my posts, and an even bigger thanks to those who are regular readers. And if you’ve enjoyed reading any of my posts, don’t forget there are 349 more out there!  While I do blog mostly for myself, knowing that someone has read one of my posts gives me a feeling like somebody got my message in a bottle. I feel connected and affirmed. It’s like…

Host: (cutting in as show’s theme music starts, under her breath) Geez you do really suck at wrapping these us…Thank you!…Where’s Pete?