I have debated writing this post. Back in March some anonymous person nominated my blog for the, The Top 50 Mom Blogs of 2013. Here is what the site had to say about the nominations. “We are looking for the Top 10 Mom Blogs of 2013 written by parents to help promote and improve their recognition and placement in the Blogosphere. From now until March 31st, 2013, we will continue to add more blogs until we find 50 blogs worthy of placement on our site. 50 will be chosen, but only 10 will gain the featured spots!”
I guess I would hope all Mom Bloggers would say the same though, after all, we are Moms first.
I struggled with posting a post that is asking people to vote for me. After the shock of my nomination wore off I quickly messaged a few friends saying something like, “I know this is totally shameless but….” (you know who you are) I felt like I was back in grade school terrified no one would put any Valentine’s in my box at school. I thought, “Oh no, what if no one votes for me???”
Some of you did vote and I am again flattered my little blog is up against some much bigger blogs, and I guess my blog is bigger than some of the others…
…but then a strange thing happened. I am safe I have some votes, I do not have to worry that no one will vote for me…
…but there was that last line… “50 will be chosen, but only 10 will gain the featured spots!”
All of a sudden I went from worrying I wouldn’t get any votes to thinking, boy it would be amazing to be in the top 10! Currently I am tied for 15th just 5 spots away from the top 10. Why, did I so quickly change from a place of, “oh man I don’t want to be without any votes,” to “Vote for me, I want to make top 10.”
It has made me feel a little uncomfortable, part of me feels that, ‘On the Old Path’ is my place to share the ups and downs of our journey. It has been my sounding board, it has been where I have poured out my heart. It is where I have shared my heartache for all Joel went through. It is where many of you lifted us up in prayer and offered us words of comfort that helped to carry us through those difficult times. We have shared our joys and funny stories. Our homesteading hits and misses. I never set out with the attention of being anyone’s top blog.
And then there is the other side, the side of me that thinks I have a nice blog… I guess. It could be a top ten blog, couldn’t it? I just need to put the word out. Pump it a little, ask for votes. There is nothing wrong with asking for votes is there? I’ll be totally honest with you there is a part of me that wants to say, Vote for me, vote for me, vote for me. Get your spouse, your kids, your Mom and Dad, Grandmother and Grandfather, Aunt and Uncle, neighbours and friends, dogs and cats and vote!! (Hmm look at that I just did, I said it.)
Yet there is still a sense of uneasiness, I guess, because I don’t want to change, I don’t want to become all about the numbers. Of course as I grow and change personally, so will my blog. As I learn new skills they will become a part of this little spot on the Internet, but, I have seen some blogs grow in their ranking (so to speak) and the fun little quirky things I loved about their blog disappeared and it became something so different. I don’t want anyone to ever think it doesn’t seem like Cheryl is writing that blog any more it seems like someone I don’t even know.
Funny how a contest like this can rattle me. In the end it boils down to this, vote for me, or don’t vote for me. I would be honoured if you do, and I may even throw it out there to you again before the month is out, but the month will end, the votes will be counted, the top ten will be decided and whether or not I am in the top ten I will still be here on the old path.
Blessings to you all.
Oh and if you do want to vote click on the link, scroll down till you see my old header and click the like button on the left hand side!
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