A Year of Blogging: January 17, 2011

Today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. I haven't had it as a day off since I was in high school, so to me, it seems like any other day. This year, the reporters on TV all referred to it as 'MLK' day. I found that highly annoying. We've gotten so used to texting and shortening words that we are even shortening people's names. Seriously, it's only one day, can't you just say the full name? Or even just say Dr. King. That at least shows a little more respect. Maybe I'm ultra-sensitive to people's names being shortened. Mine gets shortened all the time. You might wonder how you can shorten Amy. People call me 'Aim' . And I hate it. I especially hate it when people who do not know me call me Aim. My jaw clenches in frustration when I hear it. Of course, people who know me know I don't like to be called Aim, so I guess it is always people who don't know me that do it. I read somewhere that in a business setting, you should not assume it is ok to call someone by the shortened version of their name, unless they have given you permission to do so. For example, don't call Robert 'Bob' unless he said 'Call me Bob'. My mother always said she picked names for Laura and I that could not be shortened- Mom's name is Kathleen and she has always gone by Kathy. And yet, people can't say two syllables so they say just one- Aim. Today is also 'Ditch New Year's Resolutions Day'. While I didn't make any resolutions, I did commit to doing this 'blog a day' project. Well, I committed to myself. And I honestly thought about ditching it today. It comes down to quality versus quantity. While my other two blogs are very good quality (in my humble opinion), this one isn't living up to my expectations. I think I had delusions of grandeur- that writing every day would open these incredible insights. It would spur me to look at things differently. Most importantly, it would push me to publish my books. But I'm a writer. I already look at things differently. When something happens, I instantly start thinking of how I will tell it to others, revising and revising until I have set just the right mood. I am already putting quality into my two blogs- the ones that have more meaning to me. That's the stuff holding my novels or stories. Not my day to day musings. One of the greatest quandaries a writer can address is quantity versus quality. Do you put out story after story, following a cookie-cutter formula? Do you strive for the name recognition such as Nicholas Sparks or Debbie Macomber? Or do you go for quality- that one masterpiece that puts you in the world of Margaret Mitchell or Harper Lee? This is something I have struggled with for years. And I think, I would rather have that one masterpiece that gets read and reread every year. I have read Gone With The Wind at least once a year since I was about 13 years old. I never tire of it. I still delight in each page, and cherish the story. That is what I want for my own book- when it ever gets published. Not that I could ever hope to hold a candle to Margaret Mitchell; but I want my book to make an impact on the reader. One they never forget. I sat here tonight, and thought about making this my last entry on this blog. 17 days in and giving up on it. Yet I don't give up easily. And usually, if I set my mind to something, I am determined to do it. Maybe I've already faced my biggest demon: this blog is quantity. I will only do it for one year. In the meantime, I put my quality posts on my other two blogs. At least I'm writing each day. I still want to write. I'm not bored with it, just disappointed in myself. Then again, I have always been my biggest critic. So this blog will continue. At least through the end of January. :)