Sometimes I am surprised when someone says they read my blog. I just don’t think about how far reaching it is very often. When I sit here to write I imagine a few loyal members and readers taking a casual look. But, over the years I have had a few interesting experiences that remind me that there are actual more than just a handful of people tuning in.
One time Kath and I were at the waterpark at Canada’s Wonderland all decked out in our bathing suits when someone approached us and said, “Hey! I know you! You are Jen and Kath from UrbanMoms!” It was both amazing and embarrassing as neither of us were sporting our bathing suit ready bodies and we had just been lecturing our kids, loudly, about sticking together.
Some of the past and present UrbanMoms team of bloggers and staff.
Then there was the time on the subway when, in the middle of my mom’s battle with cancer, a woman stopped me and asked how she was doing. I lost it and ended up blubbering into her shoulder on the platform. Probably not what she was expecting.
I met someone in the airport in Vancouver a few years back who recognized me too. We had a long chat about the growth and evolution of social media and the positives and negatives of the term “Mommy Blogger”. Fascinating.
But last week’s revelation probably topped them all. I went in to meet my 8 year-old daughter’s teacher for a little chat. Nothing serious. We had met a few times before. But when I sat down she said to me “I understand you have a big Birthday coming up. Happy Birthday!” I paused and then said, “Oh, did my daughter say something to you?” “No,” she said, “I read your blog.” WHAT?! My head started spinning. Had I ever said anything about the school in my posts? I didn’t think so. Had I ever said anything about schoolyard dynamics? Likely. I fumbled a bit and then moved on to another topic.
Then, when I mentioned this to someone else in the school she said, “Oh yah. A bunch of staff read it.”
Of course. What was I thinking. A lot of them are moms and dads and we have a bunch of fabulous writers here. And maybe hearing from parents about what they are thinking and how they are dealing with issues helps them as teachers. I actually really like this idea and aside from the slightly weird feeling of people knowing a lot more about me than I do about them (I have been doing this for nearly 6 years so I guess I should be getting used to it) I am glad to see educators tapping into the blogosphere to get a different perspective on what moms are thinking about.
So, in the spirit of all of this, if you read my blog, even occasionally, and you have never commented or haven’t in a while please say a quick “hi” in the comments below. I would love to know you are reading!