Sense of Purpose

 

Murphy the Nibster has yet to find a blogging voice - after all, she is still very young and most of her thoughts involve making sure the humans provide food... constantly.  It's not because Murphy isn't willing to speak their mind because that happens almost constantly.  I can't even take a decent picture of this kitten because Murphy is either darting around, squirming or... meowing.

So, other  than eating and irritating Soup and Inspector by pouncing on them, Murphy hasn't really settled into a sense of purpose.  That might explain the somewhat erratic dashing about and the tendency to not fully commit to anything other than that food thing.  Or maybe I am wrong and Murphy is just entirely and fully committed to being a kitten right now?

It's also possible that I just have not been able to ascertain exactly what Murphy is committed to at this time.  Maybe I am not paying enough attention or perhaps Murphy is far more complex than I might believe.  But this did get me to thinking about what others must see when they visit the GFF blog.  

I think it is safe to say that the only person who has read every single blog (sometimes more than once) is the person who is doing the writing (me).  It's probably also a good assumption that most people who do read what I write do so in periodic bursts.  They get reminded that the blog is out there via social media post or chance encounter, they visit the blog, and they read one blog that leads to reading a few more entries.  So, it is possible what they see might seem every bit as scattered and erratic as Murphy often appears to be to me.

A (really) quick history

The Genuine Faux Farm blog actually has been around since December of 2008 and it was created primarily as a way to get information about our farm out to others in a fashion that was a bit easier than using publishing software to make newsletters.  It also allowed us to just share life on the farm a bit in the hopes that we could get more people to support small-scale, diversified farms that supply local food - why else would we tell the story about a duck in the kitchen?  Other than the fact that it was just a bit odd to begin with.

Content was about weather, recipes, crops, farm events and farming in general.  When we would occasionally leave the farm, we might include a post or two about it, but raising food and our farm was never far from the center of it all.  As I got more comfortable with blogging, I began allowing departures that included April Fools posts, Thanksgiving posts and even a few that mentioned postal history.  Then the Sandman found a voice and other, more creative things started happening.

In addition to creativity, I started to allow myself to speak a bit more freely, without the muzzle that a person with a business often wears.  You don't want to offend a potential customer, you know.  Some of that came after our struggle with pesticide drift became more extreme.  

In January of 2019, I actually gave daily blog writing a try when we took an extended break from the farm and school.  I enjoyed that exercise, but it was pretty obvious at that time that the blog (and the farm) were trending downward.  I was hard-pressed to produce three to five blogs a month and the farm (as it was) had worn us to a nub.

And then the pandemic happened.  People who were very much NOT used to isolation were struggling.  I decided that one thing I had to give was the gift of writing.  So, on March 30, 2020, I started a string of blogging that hasn't really stopped since.

What about the present day?

Well, the pandemic isn't a thing anymore.  People don't need daily writings from a farmer on a small-scale, diversified farm.  And the methods for letting people know that a new blog post is out have changed.  It is harder than ever to reach out to let people know there is something new to read - if you want to read it.

Yet, here is my 52nd blog post of 2023 - on the 52nd day of the year.

What's the purpose now?  Do I have one?  I suspect I must if I am willing to push out blogs this often.  And, clearly, it's not about attention seeking.  If it were, I know I would be taking a completely different approach to promote what I do instead of the "well it's there if you want it" thing.

The obvious? It's good practice. Currently, my primary employment is to be a writer.  I need to exercise my skills regularly so I can keep improving my craft.  But, I will also admit that I can (and will) cease writing for this blog if (or when) some of the other purposes go away.  After all, I can write and not offer it up for public consumption to get my practice in.

So... why do I keep offering things up?

There are things I believe in and have knowledge about that I hope I can encourage you (and others) to think about.  Things like diversified, small-scale farms and farming.  Things like local foods, skilled occupations, learning and teaching.  Things like tolerance and kindness and grace.  Things like seeking out awe and wonder in the natural world and in the arts.  And even things like postal history.

And there are things I think I can offer because I see a need for it.  Like a little laughter.  A little music. A walk in the woods. A pun or two.  And even some stories - both true and made up.

And yes, the Genuine Faux Farm is still here - even if it is not quite the center of our world like it was several years ago. 

So, I've got a sense of purpose for this blog.  The questions that remain are twofold.  The first is, what purpose, if any, do others see evidence of when they visit? 

And the second is, how much longer will the energy match the purpose to keep it going?  

I've got no idea what the answers are to those questions.  Maybe you can help me with the first.  As for the second?  We'll just keep going until we stop.

Meanwhile, have a good day!  Pass the goodness forward to someone.  Share a kind word, hold a door open or split that candy bar with someone who looks like they need it.