The problem with starting a new blog is that first post. Yeah, technically this is the SECOND post, but it’s the first “real” post. A first post is much like a first date. You want to appear witty and charming and yet natural and totally at ease with yourself… and normally you are… except when you feel like the spotlight is on you. In fact — I’m feeling just that way about another situation — I have an interview tomorrow with the Nominating Committee of an organization I have been active in for almost seven years. I’m in the running for president-elect and I’ve been shopping all day for just the right outfit to wear. Mind you, these people have seen how I dress for seven years now — do I really think that their selection of me as a potential leader really hinges on whether I wear the red blouse or the black and cream blouse tomorrow? And yet, there I am at Macy’s, fretting over it.
So here I’ve been excited about launching this blog, filled with ideas of what I’m going to write about, and after dealing with all the technical details, I’ve found myself blocked from posting because I’ve fretted over the first post as much (or more) as I’ve fretted over that blouse. This topic was too frivolous, that topic too negative, this one too personal, that one too broad, and so on. Then my husband reminded me of a high school Journalism Day event where they had to put together a front page in a couple of hours about Homecoming — except it was Spring and his logical mind was flumoxed by it being Spring. He found himself stuck until his editor got in his face and said, “Don’t THINK, just WRITE!”
And so here I am, forcing myself to stop overthinking and just put freshly manicured nails to the keyboard — because once I get past the stumbling block of the first post, the rest of the words will come tumbling out. The awkwardness of the first date will be over, and soon, this blog and I will get to the fun “comfortable stage” together. And a year from now, like every blog owner, I will look back on this early post and cringe! : ) Hopefully by then there will be so many witty, charming posts (and yes, probably a few terrible ones, too), that this one will be long forgotten and easily forgiven.
Maybe not “just right” but sometimes it’s just write.
