In celebration of Father’s Day this year we thought we’d bring you some very special guest contributors – our husbands! We hope you enjoy this unique view into #dadlife from the men in our lives.
The history of humanity’s ability to record daily life goes something like this:
Oral Tradition – Basically an elaborate game of telephone. If you wanted to hear about what grandpa did on his summer vacation when he was 25 you had to go bribe him with a raccoon pelt or something and hope he didn’t fall asleep before he finished the story.
Printing Press – Some guy named Gutenberg (Steve I think?) creates a way to print type. Not terribly practical for the home user.
The Internet – I may have skipped some steps, but you get the idea. In the grand scheme of things the internet came along pretty stinkin’ quick. Through the magic of the world wide web we are now able to keep a detailed account of our daily activities in web logs. Or “blogs” as the kids call them.
My wife has a blog. It is a blog about our whole family, but it’s definitely her blog. She diligently (some might say religiously. I won’t. But some might.) maintains and updates it and has raised it from just a pup, starting all the way back in 2005, to what is now a full grown family encyclopedia. Over the past 11 years it has transformed from a part time hobby into a baby book (with monthly updates for both children), a travel journal documenting our family vacations, an opinion column with commentary on topics she is passionate about, and a family newsletter that averages a new entry every other day.
As someone who finds it difficult to stay committed to reading an entire Dr. Suess Book to my daughter during bedtime, I find my wife’s commitment to the blog fascinating and something I truly admire her for. Much like a family bible or height marks on a door jamb, The Blog has become an important and treasured part of our family. Here are some of my personal favorite things about having a well maintained blog:
A personal Google for the family:
When was the last time we flew to Oregon to visit family? What did we do for our anniversary in 2008? What month did our oldest daughter start walking? Using the search bar on the blog we can now get answers to questions like these complete with photos and a detailed descriptions.
Life is now 20% more interesting:
Going back through your blog with post after post of events and activities it will seem like your life is chock full of fun and excitement. Much like a filet mignon, the blog cuts out all the boring stuff so you can focus on the highlights.
Any press is good press:
A phrase we have in our family is “at least it will make a good blog.” It’s our version of looking for the silver lining. Whether it’s a sewage backup under the house while we have out of town company or taking a crying prone newborn on an anniversary getaway, we know drama makes for good reading.
Up in the clouds:
Photo albums and journals are great. No doubt there is something special about holding a physical book in your hands while you reminisce and turn the pages. On the downside, both are remarkably flammable and inexplicably attractive to hungry puppies. With a blog, your memories are kept in the cloud away from heat sources and K9’s.
Sure, sometimes it might seem like too much of a time commitment, and sometimes it’s a bummer when you don’t have anything to talk to people about because they already read about everything you’ve done recently. But overall, I’m super happy I live in an age where the internet has made blogs possible, and I’m overjoyed my wife has dedicated herself to creating one that is sure to be a digital heirloom enjoyed by generations to come.
