Yesterday I wrote a really fluffy post. I mean really. It was all mommy-bloggy about coffee-klatching and food shopping and Trader Joe's. Yeah, ME writing THAT. Just imagine. Or don't... read it.
It was a lot of fun and, as I even bragged on Twitter, only mentioned Autism once in a very tangential way and did not touch on the dead parents stuff for even an instant.
Then my dear husband read it. He is usually a big fan of my writing, but he was taken a little bit aback by the fluffy tone of the piece. Worried that people coming to my blog for the first time yesterday and reading only that would think me a lightweight, a shallow latte-sipping mommy-blogger all about the shopping with her girlfriends.
"We were food shopping for our families, not clothing shopping for fripperies." I weakly countered.
"But you were buying snacky food at an upscale fancy food store, it all seemed so... frivolous and... bourgeois."
"But Trader Joe's is a discount, CHEAP fancy food store, that's their whole point!"
"Well, it just reminded me of those annoying articles in the Times Styles section."
We both stop and look at each other for a moment.
"And if you get a paid writing gig from this piece I will never say another word about it again - fluff away."
Mulling it over, I realized this post really was off-tone from my usual stuff. I mean, even my previous so-called fluffy post started with Ethan's feelings on reading a book about autism.
So I added this disclaimer comment on my Facebook link to the post:
You do all know that this is as fluffy as I'm ever going to get? And that this fluffy shit isn't going to last, right? Good. Glad we're clear on that. Expect a return to Death and Autism tomorrow, but for today: fluff.
So now I feel obligated to return to my regularly scheduled programming.
The problem is I had FUN writing yesterday's post. And I am feeling so burnt out with the elder-care & grieving and special needs parenting. It was FUN to think and write about something else for a change.
So I'm giving fair warning here: expect inconsistency in the future.
Some days I will still break your heart.
Some days I will show you beauty.
Others I will make you think.
And feel.
But also? Smile.
I will take you backward.
And forward.
Some days I may whine and rant (sorry).
And yet others? Pure fluffy Brain Fluff. (Because some days even I need a break from me.)
Brain Fluff Forever!!!!!
Until I start with the heavy shit again, probably the next day.
Because that's just how I (and my Autistic kid, and my ADD kid, and my 88 year-old widowed moderately-cognitively-impaired mother) roll.
I see my blog as I see life—a mix of joy, laughter, autism, fluff, serious...
ReplyDeleteSometimes it's okay to be a lightweight. :)
we need a mix of everything - isn't that what life is? I LOVED your piece on Trader Joe's. Send it to them, get paid for it, and keep writing whatever comes into your head. And I'll read it :-)
ReplyDeleteAlysia
Personally, I LOVE writing a mix of posts. I love some of them to be hilarious, some to be gut-wrenching, etc. As a mom, we have different experiences everyday, so as mom bloggers, we should be relaying different experiences everyday. I think this attracts readers, not give them the wrong impression. As long as you're staying true to yourself, you're fine!
ReplyDelete@Stimey, @trydefyinggravity, @Cheryl D.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for the positive feedback and encouragement. Much appreciated.
Inconsistency is part of life. Because....well, that's life. Keep on keepin' on.
ReplyDeleteTell hubs to lighten up! No one is serious all the time, or happy all the time, or funny all the time, etc.. Write what you want. I'm sure a first-time visitor to my blog wouldn't think I had a rodent fetish because I wrote about the dead rat on the sidewalk one day! ;)
ReplyDeletep.s. I had to laugh at TJ's being described as "discount." It's totally overpriced and I drop a shit-ton of money there. However, considering where you live, it probably IS a discount place!