Jean of riceandsoup is my blogging mentor. Jean of riceandsoup is locking up shop and cutting a limited number of keys. Jean of riceandsoup wonders why people don’t write more “entries of substance, written beautifully even if the topics addressed were mundane.”

When Jean talks, I listen or maybe it should be when Jean writes, I read. When I read her two most recent posts today, I immediately wondered how my own blog measured up. Do I write more than drivel? Do I make people read heartily, instead of just snacking? Do I tell enough stories? Do I share enough of myself?

I think I do all of that. To continue the food metaphor, because I like a party mix of different kinds of reading, that’s what I aim to offer. It can be exhausting to read long, contemplative entries one after another. For some people, that’s the style they’re most comfortable with and of course, they can do as they wish.

I read personal blogs to know someone and people are not always thinking so deeply. When I read your blogs, I like to know the little fuzzy things that tickle you, the prickly things that make you wince, and the deep cuts that make you cry. In essence, anything that gets a reaction out of you.

As for journaling the mundane*, I’m afraid I’m not so keen to do that. Here’s a sample of the truly mundane everyday existence I lead:

Marv has been gone since last Wednesday and won’t be returning until Thursday. Stephen misses his Baba and asks for him frequently throughout the day.

“Baba coming home soon. Baba bring Stephen present. Where’s Baba?”

I miss Marv too. Without him around to guide our schedule, we wake up aimless and it feels like one day flows into another with no direction. We don’t all wake up around 7 a.m. when Marv starts getting ready for work. And the anticipation of seeing Marv come walking through the door is not there in the evening so the day trails off like string unravelling with no beginning and no end.

We wake up in the morning and go through our usual routine. Me: check e-mail, look at blog stats, edit blog posts that went up during the night, make breakfast, respond to comments, read others’ blogs and the news, chat with my parents on webcam and Skype. Stephen: watch his shows, muck about with his toys and books, hassle me, and eat breakfast.

Just before housekeeping comes at about 11:30 a.m., we get dressed and clear off the floor so they can vacuum and mop. A few times a week, we’ll go out for lunch and a little shopping then return home for more computer, TV, and playing. Today, we also went to “play” pool downstairs and spent some happy moments getting to know all the different balls by color and number. Then we bought about 15 bags of Vietnamese dried fruit chips to bring back to California. It’s all incredibly routine with no surprises, but somehow the day passes quickly and we’re already at mid-afternoon.

And what am I thinking during this whole time? I think about what to write for the Genetics and Public Health Blog, what to eat for dinner, why Stephen is complaining even though we’ve done everything he’s wanted to do, how to get rid of these headaches that plague me at least once a week (most likely because of eyestrain), and what I want to read next after finishing the latest Atlantic.

Bored yet? I certainly am.

Maybe my account of everyday life is unexceptional compared to other online journals because I’m unwilling to reveal the dirt. And not just my own dirt, other people’s dirt as well (no matter how much I may dislike them).

I have a policy of not talking about other people and sharing their story. I’m even tapering down the number of stories about Stephen as he gets older and I am more wary of violating his p
rivacy. Instead, I’d rather share with you my thoughts on things that affect us either in concrete or emotional ways.

This blog, my home on the Web, is a place where I try to be a better person - more analytical, informed, creative, understanding, and compassionate. I hope most of my posts are of substance, even if they’re not written beautifully and are sometimes mundane. I strive for excellence in all areas of my life including my blogs.

*Kamigoroshi calls them noodle posts.