Yeah, I Blog.

Mairin Magnuson. A blogger. Who would have thought? A pianist, yes. Tweeter, yep. Grey's Anatomy addict, you bet. But blogger? It did not seem possible. Honestly, I never thought I had it in me. I may have had some points worth arguing, and a little wit here and there, but I never thought they would make it on a screen. I just never perceived myself as "blogger material." I would have spent my whole life wondering, what if? But thanks to these weekly visits to blogger.com, I will no longer have to spend my days dreaming. Granted, Miss Serensky forced me, but I have finally taken part in the world that I once thought turned only for valedictorians, crafty moms and wannabe columnists. Looking back on my blogs (I like the sound of that, "my blogs"), I would award "Must. Stop. Analyzing." as my most well written entry. I believe that this paragraph best represented my abilities as a writer. In this blog, I discussed my tendency to overanalyze everything. Contrary to some of my other blogs, this one sounded effortless. Easy to read and quick to the point, the words seemed to just melt off the screen. I found that throughout many of my blogs, I tried too hard to sound intelligent and clever. I used pedantic and fastidious words in an attempt to make up for content. Whoops, there I go again. This blog, significantly shorter than others, focused on quality - not quantity. After rereading this blog ("my" blog, that is), I clearly understood my point. I spent no time shifting through fluff and unclear messages - it simply made sense. My "less is more" approach ultimately landed me a spot on Bobbie Joe's Blog Show. One-hit-wonder or not, I believe this claim to fame served as a reward for my clarity. Although far from a writing marvel, my other blog "Brace Face" deserves the most-interesting prize. Just in case the readers did not find the in-depth descriptions of my post-op procedures intriguing, I left them with some food for thought: the journey v. the destination. Within this blog, I touched upon the long road that I have traveled for a perfect smile. I discussed the many sacrifices I have made, including solid foods and senior intimidation, and how they ultimately led to my growth as a person. I came to the conclusion that true happiness does not come without a little strife; a timeless theme that everyone can relate to. This motif may sound a bit cliché, but nonetheless interesting. The more you think about it, the more you can relate. I began writing that blog with no more incentive than to complete the assignment, but ended with a new state of mind. While we all like to rush for immediate satisfaction, good things come to those who wait. This subject seemed to line one of my other blogs as well, titled "John Keats: All I Want for Christmas." Sounds more desperate the second time around, but all the same true. In this entry (accompanied by Darlene Love's "All Alone on Christmas,") I basked in self pity and expressed my desire for a holiday sweetheart - preferably John Keats. I mentioned his sappy love letters to Fanny Brawne, who he refers to as "tender beauty." Kate Mackin took a personal offense to this endearment, and promised that if anyone called her such a name, "I would slap them across the face." Please, Kate, do not hold back. She then proceeded to look at her single status as an economic gain, allowing her to spend money on the things that really matter, "like guacamole on the side at Chipotle." Kate should read my blog about how the struggle itself yields happiness. That should help ease the bitterness towards love. And maybe help you revaluate life. Although Kate's comment seemed harshly pessimistic, it generated both a chuckle and a realization. I guess the purpose of this whole "blog" thing revolves around sharing it with others. Why else would we do it? I blog for comments like Kate's, that offer alternative perspectives and moments of laughter. So thank you Kate, and thank you Miss Serensky, for I now feel at home in the world of blogging.