I learned something new today. “More than 1/3 of all women in the United States aged 18 to 75 participate in the blogosphere at least once a week. Of those women who are online any amount of time, 53% read blogs, 37% post comments to blogs and 28% write or update blogs.” One third of American women participate in blogging once a week! What a surprise! My lovely daughter-in-law Jessica sent me the web address for Advertising Age (adage.com) where I read these facts. Jessica, like my other 2 daughters-in-law, is completely comfortable with computers and internet activity. Martha Margaret introduced me to the wonders of online greeting cards and party invitation sites, and Heather told me about Netflicks and Blockbuster online, and shares photos of my grandchildren via the internet. Jessica, though, is in a class by herself. She has done most of the design work for this website and has introduced me to the joy of blogging. 

Saundra, who wrote last week’s blog entry, is my friend. She really hates computers, but she loves me, so she did a blog when I asked her to. I think she has decided that these machines are not really invented by the antichrist, but she still doesn’t like to spend more than a few minutes in front of one. Her husband answers most of her email for her, signing himself “Saundra’s Administrative Assistant”. I understand Saundra. She and I are close to the same age and come from a generation that did not grow up with computers. In fact, she, like me, was introduced to her first computer while she was in the throws of raising children. Learning the computer was not at the top of our priority lists! So Saundra and I have come lately to computers and even more lately to the internet. We have a LOT to learn!

The strangest thing is that I am really enjoying this blogging business. I love writing (ahem, posting) when it’s my turn so much that I usually make comments on everyone else’s blogs when it’s not my turn to post. (There is more than one way to get a “say”!) Sometimes I even slip in an extra post here and there when it isn’t my turn. I love the comments made by fellow bloggers, and especially the comments about my own blogs. They make me feel connected. They make me feel like I have a bunch of friends I only see rarely or not at all. How cool is that? And I can carry on these online relationships when it is convenient FOR ME. Reading your comments and carrying on the conversation started by a blog never interrupts what I am doing. I can start and stop at will. And if I don’t like what you comment I can turn off my computer. What’s not to like??

So I am praying that more of the women who like to read blogs read ours. And I am hoping that more of you who read will join the conversation and make a comment. I am amazed at myself because I am really envisioning a community of blogging women and liking it. Saundra, I think this blog is like a big block party where everyone is invisible but you can still talk with them, or kind of like a lots of women talking together on the phone at the same time — only better.