“A Blog?!” That was the hubby’s first response.  “Being married to you, I should have lots to write about!” was my response.  We had a blog a long time ago… he started it and I continued it when I needed a place to post homemade cards for online contests.  But recently I started thinking about it again and all the potential it held.  So, I did what anyone else might do…. I googled it.  Lots of ideas.  Then I narrowed it down…. I posted my inquiry on Facebook.  I asked my “technical” friends what they thought. It sparked a slight debate on security issues and user-friendly vs. business options on good website platforms.  I am still confused.  However, I am going to embrace the adventure with an open mind.

Technology is a wonderful thing.  And a dangerous one.  Our world is so full of apps, clicks, widgets and what-nots, it can all be pretty confusing for a mom who barely knew what an icon was some years ago.  You pretty much can find anything on the internet now, and our fast paced world encourages you to keep up.  Social media is a way we connect now.  “Fear of Missing Out (FoMO)” is a real thing. Cyber bullying is studied and documented just like any other form of bullying.  You can hardly buy a wooden spoon these days without going online to check out the reviews… let alone travel or start a business.  WhooBoy!…and don’t get me started on government forms!  Try getting passports for a family of six.

And yet, our children are embracing it as much as we embraced banana-seat bicycles!  Our seniors are learning video chatting to keep in touch with their grandchildren.  We thought the world was going to end when my mom learned how to text!  But the world-wide web comes with a price.  It eats our time.  It demands our attention.  It keeps us from smelling the roses sometimes.  And it is often hard to manoeuver. It has a “learning curve” as one of my friends put it.  One very big thing I think we need to be teaching is FILTERING.  Not everything we read or watch is  the information we need… or need to be seeing.  How do we plug-in a “search engine optimization” word (Hehe..that’s something I learned when I started studying blogging!) and get what we need?  Filter. Filter. Filter.  Who do we trust?  What is relevent information?

When my eldest was in about grade four, she chose to do a school project on “mustangs” — the wild horses roaming free and romantic in the wide open planes.  When she began researching it: CARS.  Nice cars, with pretty girls showing them off.  Not what we were looking for.  I remember sitting for hours with her in front of the computer screen, painstakingly filtering information until we got what we needed.  When I asked the teacher later about it, she indicated that “filtering” was not part of the curriculum.  How can proper researching not be part of the project?! But that is a post for another day.  The point is, we should constantly be learning.  We should be embracing new ideas and thoughts, and working through the answers.  Technology is no exception.

And so I begin this blogging journey… with “a learning curve” included.  Hey!  I might be the next chewbacca mom! She’s now famous and getting to sing the national anthem somewhere (hmmn… wait, no, I can’t sing) or maybe I will make some big money with my blog (lots of those posts out there!!).  However, my real hope is to learn.  To try, and fail, and try again.  To filter, and work my brain, and grow and change.   To share and connect and make new friends.  Let the adventure begin!