Why I Blog: A Meme

I am totally abashed. Approximately 82 years ago Michelle of Heavenfield tagged me in a new meme that's been making the rounds. I noted it, and the next day I received my first rejection letter, prompting me to forget my new blogular charge immediately.

Then, Jonathan Jarrett, also tagged by Michelle, very thoughtfully reminded me that I had completely failed to fulfill my duties. How embarassing!

So here is the meme:

Give three reasons why you blog.
Repeat the meme rules.
Tag three bloggers to continue.

And here we go!

1. I wanted to keep myself writing regularly. For the last couple of years I've been a part-time student and a full-time secretary, so it was extremely easy to let the writing fall by the wayside. I decided that if I created a public blog, and assigned myself some regular features, I'd be regularly writing, and working, and thinking about the Middle Ages. My tone has been fairly irreverent, but it's prompted some serious thinking about my work (which I don't usually share because I'm embarassed to). And that has been helpful.

2. I had been following medieval blogs for a while before I started blogging, and I wanted in. I had been surprised that there was such an active, vibrant, and most of all warm, medievalist community online. I wanted to be a part of it. And I was not disappointed. I was welcomed and encouraged immediately, and I remain quite honored and happy to be a part of it.

3. Though it wasn't one of my original intents, it has proved incredibly helpful and therapeutic to share my application woes online. When I started Per Omnia Saecula, I didn't know I would be applying to doctoral programs so soon. I decided to apply about a month before the applications were all due. I had been torn for some time between waiting a year in order to finish an advanced certificate in Museum Studies, and just dropping the certificate to finish the MA sooner. I ultimately went with the latter (obviously), and ever since then I've been neck-deep in applications and waiting and panicking and anxiety attacks and self-doubt. Blogging about it was a helpful way to organize my thoughts and get feedback, to learn what other people went through, and what I could expect. Thanks, guys!

So there you have it. I hope you've enjoyed.

In turn I am going to tag The Pirateologist General, Highly Eccentric, and my sister Stephanie at Ice Cream Before Dinner. Go to it, folks!