When I first started my blog (“The Never Empty Nest”: An Introduction, 3/1/13), I didn’t know how long I’d be able sustain my own interest, let alone find readers who shared it. How many weeks or months could I write about the comings and goings of young adult twins—a son with ADHD and a daughter on the autistic spectrum—and their impact on our home and my psyche? Would I be able to focus on related issues in politics, the economy and the outside world with passion and humor? More importantly, would there be enough people out in cyberspace interested in reading it? I was hoping the issues I explored would be universal enough to be meaningful to all families, not just parents of young adults with special needs.
I’m also far from up to speed on technology. Whereas most young people today toddle from cribs to ipads, computers and cell phones, I started life with an Etch-A-Sketch and telephones with cords and dials. Instead of doing research on Google (or Bing), I consulted the World Book Encyclopedia and National Geographic. All of my essays were written on lined paper in high school, until senior year when I began typing papers on an IBM Selectric. (Yes, I KNOW I’m ancient). Once in college, the only way to do research was at the library. (Please, tell me there are readers who remember those days)!
In spite of my technology limitations, I managed 51 posts during the first year of my blog, including topics both predictable and unexpected: Henry and I celebrated our 25th anniversary and he turned 65; Sarah lost 35 pounds and found a boyfriend who had bedbugs; Max turned into a hypochondriac and graduated from college. Our dog Sparky had knee surgery in September and died from lymphoma in January. Besides taking care of my family, I spent the year ruminating on autism issues, the challenges of parenting millennials, my daughter’s movie and my son’s documentary. There were also posts on weather, politics and what it’s like to get chicken pox in your 50s. I also managed to publish some of my writing in a literary journal, an anthology and an on-line humor journal. I guess I was lucky that my life was filled with enough drama to inspire me with new topics each week, but not overwhelming or time-consuming enough to gobble up my writing time.
According to a recent Nielsen report, consumer interest in blogs keeps growing. By the end of 2011, NM Incite tracked over 181 million blogs around the world, up from 36 million only five years earlier in 2006. So who are my fellow bloggers? The majority of bloggers are women and half of all bloggers are aged 18 – 34. Clearly, I’m in the fossilized minority. But at least bloggers are well-educated—70% have attended college, and like me—most are graduates. One out of three bloggers are Moms—yes!—with kids under 18—definitely NOT me, (though my millennials often act considerably younger). Oh yes, and we’re very active across social media—twice as likely to post or comment on YouTube, and even more likely to post in Message Board/Forums during the past month. Hmm… I guess there’s a lot more for me to be learning and doing.
I’d also like to add interviews: with parents, ADHD and autism specialists, and business people who employ young adults with disabilities. It would also be fun to have fellow bloggers as my guests. Best of all would be if I could have a couple of advertisers on “The Never-Empty Nest,” to help feed my no-longer-baby birds. Of course to attract advertisers, I’d probably have to greatly increase my page views and do everything on my resolution list. According to a parenting blogs analytics study, to boost traffic, I should also change my content to include topics, such as holiday themed contests, shopping guides and product reviews and use clickable words like “best,” “healthy” and “easy.” My titles should start with “How to…, “Top 5 Places/Products to…,” or “What to do about….” Oops, I’m dozing off.
Yay!! Congratulations!!!
Congratulations, Marguerite. I hope that I will continue to inspire you with my antics.
Congratulations, Marguerite. I hope that I will continue to inspire you with my antics.