Jan 20, 2011

The purpose of my blog…

This post has been languishing, half-written, in my drafts for a while and seemed like the perfect piece to explain my absence from the blogosphere. I would like to say I was musing, all these months, on the purpose of my blog. The truth is I was busy with the business of being a mom, a part time student, an anime junkie and a BBC comedy snob. Blogging seemed like a chore to be done at the end of the day; a chore which wasn’t as enjoyable as watching an episode of Coupling or Full Metal Alchemist while the kiddo slept soundly in the other room. However, I am back now, rejuvenated by the extended break and hopefully will blog more regularly, for a couple of months at least. Till my next post, here are some reasons why Desisoccermom exists.

Apart from those who comment, do you know who else reads your blog? I know for a fact that my family, back in India, with the exception of my brother does not read it. For them it is just a hobby I indulge in, especially since I didn’t cook much for the first 27 years of my life.

It doesn’t matter that this blog has been a launching pad for a long due apology to my mom for my bratty behavior when I was in my troublesome teens. It has been a platform to pen an ode to my grandma and the battered heirlooms she passed on to me. Have they read any of it? No. For them, if I am not working in an “office” and bringing home a paycheck, it is a hobby. (In their defense, my grandma does not own a computer and my mom is not computer savvy or refuses to be one.)

Then there are friends of mine from college days who sometimes drop by to catch up and once in a while leave a comment. But these are few and far in between. Recently, one of these friends, let’s call him Y (because his name starts with it), told me that he could not figure out the purpose of my blog. When a good friend of 20 years can’t figure out the purpose of a blog which is titled Desi Soccer Mom, the writer of the said blog has to pause and do some soul searching.

The blog was started, like most things in my life, with an impulse and no clue. If I had done some research, I would have gone with Wordpress just because they have so much cooler templates than blogger (no offense blogspot). As it happens, I went with blogger.

It is true I did not have a purpose in mind when I opened my template and started writing. In the beginning it was an attempt to chronicle the goings-on in my life, which, now that I think of, are not that interesting. The kiddo had just started preschool, I had a few hours to myself and this seemed like a good way to brush up on my writing skills. To be honest, the skills needed more than just brushing. They needed to be sanded, scrubbed, brushed and polished. (The polishing is still going on and hopefully will never end.)

Like most desis I know I too cook almost every day, to the great surprise of my American neighbors. It was natural that writing about food or about my life somewhat overlapped. Once the food was put to pen, I couldn’t stop, not because I am a great cook or everything I cook is finger licking good. Heck, I am not even a versatile cook like some bloggers I know.

I am however, what I like to call, an evolving cook. In my dictionary, an involving cook is one who does not follow a recipe to a T or stresses over just the right ingredients the recipe calls for. Ok, that may be because I am incapable of following a recipe to a T and I never plan in advance for a recipe, so I am forced to innovate substitute garam masala with sabzi masala and sometimes omit the dhana-jeera because I have run out of it. I have been known to use red chili powder instead of green chilies because I was too lazy to chop them.

So, why do I blog mostly about food, but sometimes also about the books I read? It is certainly not intended as collection of recipes for Jr. who is as picky an eater as I was till I started college. I also do not have scores of followers waiting with bated teeth for me to post a recipe. Maybe it is because I like the fact that I created something edible and possibly delicious that my friends and family liked. I think that warrants it getting recorded, possibly for posterity on the world web.

I do love reading books and our book club directs me to books I may never have chosen or found out about on my own. So instead of reading the labels on the back of processed foods, I pick up a book every month, read it, review it and sometimes cook from it. Reading well constructed sentences and clever use of words gives me pleasure no amount of dark chocolate can. Never mind that I savor the dark cocoa confection while I devourer the book.

My last post, some months ago, was a piece of fiction I wrote for one of the finest bloggers to grace the blogging world. I have to admit, I have enjoyed the attention garnered by my fiction pieces. In fact, my fiction posts seem to be more popular than my food posts. Does that give me another purpose to keep blogging? Possibly yes. Because as much as I blog for me and me alone, I also like the little bit of attention I sometimes get.

Which brings me to the second part of the story, It takes two to err..., that all of you have been waiting for me to post and that I haven’t finished writing yet. But I am working on it and hopefully, will post it sooner than later.

As to the purpose of my blog, well, I have to say, I still am not sure what it is. Maybe it is the pleasure of knowing that my words are read and appreciated. Maybe the thrill of knowing that my recipes, stories and anecdotes, no matter how lame or corny, have been recorded on the invisible tracks of the internet for posterity.

I know for certain that I enjoy the comments that start to trickle in a couple of hours after I post something. I certainly feel lucky to have made some wonderful friends through this blog, friends who have indulged me in my rants and patiently answered my questions about their photography skills.

I guess, above all, it is the unbridled pleasure of knowing that Desisoccermom is MY space to write whatever it is I want, when I want or not. There are no pesky editors, no demanding boss or nagging overseer. It is my domain, to do as I please or take a three month break if it pleases me.

If you haven’t drifted off to another blog by now, let me ask you this: what is the purpose of your blog?

24 comments:

  1. Purpose? To say whatever the heck I want to say and get away with it. ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Great to see you back Jaya!
    Am yet to know the purpose of my blog ... except that I can share my recipes and a wee bit of my life there ... and also make friends. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Purpose of my Blog:To write what I cook and then cook what I write @ Cilantro.

    My blog is my cookbook for my daughter which one day I am hopeful will be useful for her who of course does not seem to enjoy Indian food as we do. My mother passed on a hand written one to me and so will I thru Cilantro.

    It has been a pleasure having some friends and to read their wonderful comments along the process.

    ReplyDelete
  4. First all welcome back Jaya. It is good to see you back in action & I love this rant, apt to the current circumstances where some ppl consider blogging as a sort of addiction than a pleasurable experience. It is sad but it is true. I like you becoz you are different. You write when you want to write.

    Likewise, I cook when I want to cook. The purpose of my blog is to get my hands-on as many different recipes I can. Otherwise, I would be this lazy snob who feeds on dal-chawal everyday. :-). and the blogging exp definitely did one good thing to me - gave some dear friends whom I look upon to.

    Hope to see you around longer this time.

    Hugs,
    Siri

    ReplyDelete
  5. Can I copy your post to my blog? :-)) It felt like I was reading my inner voice...
    My draft on this topic is now obsolete. I will just link your post for my readers. :-))

    ReplyDelete
  6. As one of your newer readers/followers, I wasn't sure why(Let me clarify: MY overburdened memory, not a critique on your blog) I had added your link to my blogroll several months back---you just validated that decision of mine. I like what I read here at DSM.

    And in answer to your question: why do I blog? Because I like it.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I second Deepika. As with the New Years and resolutions/revolutions, I've been going through the same thought process. Why exactly do I blog. And maybe the lack of a purpose explains my infrequent posting.Lovely write-up Jaya.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Thank you girls for sharing. :)

    Siri, you always manage to perk me up with your comments. Thank you. :)

    Deepika, go ahead. :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. GB, thank you for that and welcome to DSM. :)

    Ann, thank you girl.

    ReplyDelete
  10. nice to see you back Jaya:-)

    The purpose of my blog: Hmm... I did start it with a purpose of record all my recipes that I had been writing down in a diary from 15 years back. I do say I love it and it has gone beyond that for me. I love it as I have learned a lot more about cooking than I did for the past so many years that I have been cooking. I enjoy trying out new recipes, & I feel there not have been a better way than blogging to learn and get exposed. The purpose now is slowly branching off to photography. I do find it as an outlet of creativity, which I still hope i have within me. Last not the last, I have connected with some lovely people.

    I do LOVE your space Jaya, tho' I know I do not always leave a comment.:-( esp. your writing. and I learn about food from every space including yours.

    ReplyDelete
  11. purpose now thats a difficult one,..because in my blog posts i share almost everything,about myself my son,..:-)
    nice post and ya glad to cee u back,.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Well, hello there and welcome back!

    It is good - no, refreshing, to see a blog like yours, Jaya, which is there really for the pleasure of blogging, unlike for some others for whom it is an addiction, or a race for popularity.

    I started blogging because I was a SAHM, and getting bored with not too many things to offer any mental stimulation. I had a blog earlier and used to love blogging. Since cooking was a newfound passion, a food blog happened.

    I continue to blog because I love the boundaries blogging is helping me stretch - in writing, in photography and in cooking.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Soma, Notyet100, Aqua, thank you for sharing and yes, I am glad to be back too. :)

    ReplyDelete
  14. So glad to see yor post Jaya :) and hope to see u around often ;)..

    Purpose of my blog..Well started coz i had sooo much of free time n one of my buddy wanted some recipes to try n that's what got me started into blogging.

    I am keeping it going as I am so keen on trying out new recipes and of course the number of people whom u meet thro blogging..

    I like to drop by ur blog for the way u write and still remember the day I looked up ur blog when we were paired for T&C.. :)

    Waiting for the remaining part of the fiction :)

    ReplyDelete
  15. I thought it would be a good outlet to share my love of food with fellow foodies, others get bored or amused listening to a foodie rattle on and on about food. It was also an outlet to write about things I had no writing outlet for :) And there is the feedback, which I don't get in my other ventures. I really have no greater purpose :)

    ReplyDelete
  16. Jaya, a good read as always.

    I blog because I enjoy it and it's my sole hobby. I have always enjoyed cooking and trying out new stuff, but with blogging I have pushed my self to try and learn much more than I would have otherwise.
    Also as a result of food blogging I have ventured into learning photography which now has become an addiction.
    But best of all I like the fact that I can stay anonymous behind the scenes and present my recipes the way I liked them.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Hi Jaya, was eagerly waiting to read your post. And for sure come here more often to read your fiction pieces.
    I jumped into the bandwagon of food bloggers pretty late. And like the idea of writing, organizing and storing what I can cook or had cooked over the years apart from learning from fellow bloggers. And for the reason of getting to know lovely people whom I could never meet otherwise.
    Best wishes.

    ReplyDelete
  18. YOur blog is you, so you can put whatever you want into it. That's just it the end of the day.

    My mom, some family and others I know also see my blogging as "I am not working in an “office” and bringing home a paycheck, it is a hobby". You'd be surprised to know the first question many people have asked me when thay find out I write a blog is "do you make any money?" !!! :D

    But I'm used to it because I have had zillions of people ask me "how I spend my time at home doing nothing" after have got an education.

    So go ahead and write what you want, and at your pace. I enjoy reading your posts.
    And that reminds me, I need to write a post for the book club! :D

    ReplyDelete
  19. I almost thought you had stopped blogging! I never thought I would be into the third year of blogging. Initially it started off as rambling thoughts and the main readers were my daughters. Now it appears that they hop in occasionally and I have a few regular readers, which does make me feel good.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Interesting food for thgout as I'm wondering this myself right now. I love blogging though- its just a matter of finding the time.

    ReplyDelete
  21. To be honest, I didn't plan or learn what a blog is before starting. One fine day Vaishali from Holy Cow says in an email 'I think you should start a blog of your own. You know so much about baking' and there it was. If I had seen that there are tons of food blogs floating around, I would've kept my recipes to myself in a word document. Then it because like I have started it, I need to learn something out of it. I blog a lot. Almost 5 times a week. That is because I am making something different every day. I have done that for the past decade. And I record them here. I feel good when people send me an email or leave a comment saying they tried it and it came out nice or whatever. I feel most of the bloggers are looking for some response that they don't get around in their lives. I definitely don't get praised everyday for my cooking and heck I am an excellent cook. Am I obsessed about this? No. I can leave it just like that and be done with it if I decide to do so. Am I going after popularity - I don't think so. Since I have realized that there are way too many blogs out there and I can't compete with all of them. I just write and if someone wants to read it, they can or leave it. Hey, this is the longest comment you have got on this post - not necessarily a meaningful one. Take care and write whatever makes you feel good about it.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Hey Jaya.. there doesn't have to be a purpose to every activity. Why do people do photography or painting or reading bestsellers for that matter.

    My blog has no purpose. It is just me having a bit of fun... just a place to offload my pakaau jokes! ;)

    Cheerio!

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for visiting my space. I miss my former editors, so any form of criticism/ appreciation is welcome. :)

Possibly related posts

Related Posts with Thumbnails