I Want to Seep into your Brain

Danielle left me a comment that she'd given me an award so I popped on over to her Touch the Farm blog to check it out. As the screen came up, I saw an adorable logo with a happy dog holding a big heart with the caption "Best Blog 2008." I thought to myself, "Oh wow, how sweet. She thinks my blog is really good."

And then I scrolled down and saw my name was not on the list for that award. It, of course, included Crunchy Chicken and Sharon who are both pretty hot blog writers. Oh well, I thought, let's scroll down and see what I got. I really can't complain since Danielle gave me the Excellent Blog award and says I always have something to think about. (Even if it is as silly as whether pimping out my dog for belly rub therapy is a viable post-carbon job opportunity.)

This is the third time I've received this particular award. Out of curiosity, I went back and read what I wrote before. A year ago, I was fairly eloquent in accepting it and passed it on to ten other bloggers as recommended. A week later, I was less eloquent and broke the award rules. Anyone who has read my blog for long knows that I do that with awards and memes (if I even 'accept' the meme. Sometimes I just cover my ears and sing, "Lalalalala, I can't heeeeaaaar you.")

Wait, where was I? Oh, yeah, what the heck does this have to do with the post title?

Well, while I was pouting about Sharon and Crunchy being "Best Blogs" and me being merely "Excellent", I thought about the difference between our blogs. Sharon is an educator and motivator. She writes about what she sees going on now and where her research into others' writings tells her we, humans that is, are going. Her frank style and scary news push people into action to secure their, and their community's, future. Crunchy Chicken does not go in for the 10,000 words posts, instead opting for shorter thought-provoking snippets geared to create discussion. (Or provoke dissension - she's a trouble-maker, that one.) Her broad subjects catch a large cross-section of the blogosphere making her popular among mommy bloggers as well as the green bloggers.

I've talked about how I gravitate towards blogs with concrete solutions to problems, no matter what size. That's how my brain works. I see problems (not dead people) and my brain starts chomping away for a fix. Sometimes this leads to research and I post a nice long how-to post such as the going vegan series, food security series, or first aid stuff. Much of the time, however, I'm just posting about whatever I'm doing in my own life, trying to keep it interesting for you but also hoping information will seep into your brain and cause you to change your behavior. This is why I often post about what I'm doing to avoid food waste.

Educational posts have value, teaching people how to make changes. Melinda is outstanding at encouraging gardening and community-building. Peak Oil Hausfrau writes about how to tackle issues in your area, as well as encouraging everyone to explore solar cooking. Rob's Do-It-Yourself blog will make you feel more capable than you ever have before. Leslie will teach you how to draw, while keeping you entertained with stories of her hippie days. The Peak Shrink will try to help keep you from curling up into a tiny little ball when you read about the latest bad oil news.

These are all excellent blogs, deserving of the Excellent Award. But, the folks that just post about how they live their lives, hoping to pass on information and motivation to others are just as important. Sometimes we need to see what ordinary people are doing on a day-by-day basis.

Frugal Veggie Mama continues to amaze me with her energy and creative projects. How does she do it with such a full house? JennConspiracy provides a tasty parade of local goodies, encouraging all to head out to their garden or Farmer's Market so they can follow suit. Princess of Pink's tales (Corgi tails?) of her adventures with living lighter always inspire me, even though I don't live in the snowy north or do any fiber crafts. Heather's healthy local meals often put mine to shame and she's been a constant source of encouragement as I struggle to get back to healthier eating myself. Riana shows that slowing down does not mean giving up anything; it means gaining everything.

All of these blogs inspire me. Look for blogs that inspire you, blogs that seep into your brain and influence you to make better choices every day.