Humor or Hobby.......Truth or Therapy

This is uncharted territory for me.  I find myself looking back over 2016 and being grateful I've survived.  I am looking forward to 2017 and trying to figure out a way to really "come into my own" going forward.  What do I mean by that?  Well for starters, I am trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up; obviously I'm a little slow.  Why am I trying to figure this out?  Well, I'd be lying if I didn't say that I have been feeling a little lost this year.  Trying to figure out how to lead by example, put first things first and prioritize my life is something that hit me hard at 40 and I've been in a tailspin ever since.  I need to get this figured out.

One of the things that I have done over the course of the last year to help deal with some of my issues has been to write.  I have several journals that range from deeply personal to wildly and publicly inappropriate (thank you blog readers).  Anyway, I am trying to figure out if I want to commit to this developing discipline in my life and up my blogging game.

I have a couple of thoughts that I'll share and I hope that you will be willing to provide feedback; good, bad and ugly are all okay.  Here are a few of the known/assumed factors that I am using as guideposts.

• I enjoy writing, and anecdotally at least, I believe that there are those of you who like reading what I write.  This may be just because you know me? Or maybe what I've written has struck a nerve?  Not sure just yet.  I don't get very many written comments on my blog, but I do hear from a lot of you in conversation.  So, am I having a Sally Field moment?  Do you "really like me?"  Please let me know.
• I know that not everything I write is for everybody, and that's okay.  For example, I know that my December posts have been way more religious than most of my stuff.  That may be off-putting to a lot of you.  Addressing the #LightTheWorld posts specifically, I was looking to improve my mental and spiritual attitude for myself in December and having someone provide prompts was helpful.  I appreciated the opportunity to contribute something daily and it proved to be a good exercise for me.  Rest assured, there are plenty of "normal mom posts" waiting in the wings for future appearances.
• I know that my content is inherently personal and this may limit the appeal of my posts.  Truth be told, I see myself as reasonably intelligent, mostly polite, kinda funny and sorta helpful.  If I have one idol in my writing world, it would be Erma Bombeck.... speaking truth and making it relative to my readers.  I am not afraid to be self-depracating, but I also realize that folks may not always want to read about my life.  However, I do believe that there are large parts of my life that are highly representative of the lives of my "peer group." Whether it's enough to try and find more people to "read all about it" is up for debate.
• I do see the need for and think I could do something about focusing my blogging efforts on some specific things... as in, narrow down the brain vomit and focus on things like a "Travel Tuesday" or "Whiny Wednesday."  I don't know.... I feel like the appeal of writing all of this to me is the randomness and inspiration that I get from every day stuff.  All that I've read about blogging assumes that you are selling or creating products (printables, programs, etc) for consumption or that you are on a journey through weight loss, cancer, adoption, divorce.  I kinda like being a dabbler; a little of this and a little of that.  I have always felt if I can't be an example, I should be a warning. But dabbling may just muddy the message.
• I like politics and current events, and although I don't spend a lot of time discussing them on the blog, there still needs to be a place for them.  I think....

So.... those of you who read regularly, or even read other blogs regularly, I guess I have a couple of specific questions for you and am honestly seeking feedback as to how I should proceed.  Do I stay as is, or do I put myself out there and attempt to capitalize on all the brainy goodness and life experience I can impart.  Ultimately, what I decide to do needs to feel right and genuine to me, but you can't always trust your own press.  So, I'm turning to you.  Please take a minute, answer the questions below and email me at bekpierce@gmail.com with any input you have.  And yes, I know that Blogger and other programs can do a lot of this for me... but crunching numbers and data has never been my strong suit and I love words.... so talk to me people!

1. How did you hear about this blog?
2. How often do you check to see if there's an update? 
3. Do you subscribe to this blog or others?
4. Do you like the content? Is it relatable or enjoyable to read?
5. How do you feel about the writing itself? I know I'm generally a wordy person.... that's a lot how I process things.
6. Have you, or would you, be willing to share these blog posts with folks you know?
7. Would you like to see more specificity in posts, i.e. travel, event planning, life lessons.....
8. What is your favorite post?  Why did you like it?  Thinking this may help me find a focus.
9. Finally, any other productive comments you'd care to make would be appreciated.  We do not have to share the same opinions... but I'm looking for feedback on blog itself and not specifically on content.

Thanks in advance for any feedback you provide.  This is kind of a leap of faith for me.  Folks are always telling me that I should write a book.  Erma Bombeck wrote 15 books and a newspaper column for years.... Do I dare stick my neck out and try to promote myself?  I don't know, but I do know that I want to be done with this mid-life identity crisis and maybe this is a way out?!