It was said on Media Watch this week that “of course some of the mummy bloggers are naïve and their preoccupations frivolous, but many of these women are direct and honest”. I agree. I think that is a fair statement.
The beauty of blogging is you can create your own space. It can be sunshine and rose-coloured glasses, it can be entirely frivolous, it can be completely escapist, it can be searing political analysis, it can be erudite and intellectual, it can be about awareness of social good, it can be brutally raw and honest. It can be anything. But mostly it’s a combination of all of those things.
These days, I trade in a whole lot of frivolity. And not a whole lot of higher purpose. Or anything of a deeper meaning.
It’s not because I’m a black hearted bitch. I don’t think.
I worked on the coal face of a charity for five years. It was an amazing experience. It was rewarding. It was unbelievably hard. I used to have to manage the waiting list. So I had a lot of people telling me on the worst day of their life that I was sentencing them to death. After a while you know too much to watch the news or current affairs to maintain any kind of serenity whilst doing so.
Simple things really. Like how attempting to minimise the drug supply lines has negligible benefit and negligible impact on actual supply. Spending money on drug treatment is twelve times more effective than spending money on drug control. People sneer at illicit drug users but deaths from illicit drugs make up about 5 per cent of total deaths from drugs. Hello alcohol and cigarettes!
All of a sudden it becomes difficult to listen to the government talk about their policies of ‘zero tolrance’. It becomes hard to hear people talking about ‘junkies’ as if they were some unfortunate kind of cancer. And it becomes even harder to leave work at work.
I am really proud of my time there. But it means I don’t feel bad about being frivolous or vain or not talking about something that means something. Because sometimes things mean to much and they break your heart a bit. Or a lot.
I wasn’t offended by the statement on Media Watch, because I think there are plenty of blogs out there that are frivolous. i think the only mistake you could make is that thinking that someone who writes a frivolous blog is a frivolous person. I don’t make that mistake. And I don’t think Media Watch made that mistake either.
And even if my blog stays in the frivolous space for a very long time, with no greater meaning than babies are cute, baking is awesome, housework sucks ass, Friday is my favourite day of the week, I worship at the altar of shoes and creativity is like breathing. Even if that’s all I ever do, well I’m ok with that.
I spent a lot of time trying to change the world. For now I’m just trying to love living in it.
I think some people (not the Media Watch necessarily) like to put frivolity down. It’s like they always want to see the world filled with deep, serious, thinky thoughts. I think we need the frivolity though – a frivolous blog post puts smiles on faces – and we can always do with more smiles in the world
And after awhile those deep thinky thoughts are exhausting if they are switched on 24/7.
I think the answer lies in balance. Balance of frivolity and thoughtful. For me anyway.
So true!
This post really resonated with me Zoey. I sometimes think that I’m not being meaningful enough and I’m not really adding anything of value with my blog, but then I think about how I read blogs. I read every blog for different reasons. Some days I need to steer clear of the deep and meaningful and let myself enjoy the frivolity. It makes the day seem brighter when I’m feeling blue or just in need of some escapism. I don’t think I’ve ever thought of your blog as frivolous; you always seem to have some poignant thoughts to share with us, and even the photos make me feel like you are giving us a glimpse of what’s in your heart – your love for the ‘little moments’ of motherhood.
Thank you Shelly! I guess what I was saying is that you can focus on small things. The tiny details of your life and not have to be an activist or be pursuing issues or working for the social good to mean something, if that makes sense?
I embrace frivolity. My own blog is probably 90% frivolous because my life is not, and I wish it was.
Fabulous post.
Your blog is 100% awesome, just so you know.
Personally I don’t see anything wrong with being frivolous or light-hearted. I don’t know in what context Media Watch meant the word, was it time-wasting and foolish or was it flippant? I guess that’s open to interpretation. I struggled just getting past the Kath & Kim voice overs. I’m really enjoying your writing though and I find it challenges me so maybe not so frivolous after all?
I don’t think there is anything wrong with it at all. I personally think the comment was saying that there are a whole heap of blogs that deal with the superficial (just like a whole lot of traditional media do). I don’t really see it as a criticism. But more that there’s a juxtaposition of this light-hearted, home-beautiful, fashion and makeup area and the really raw and brutally honest area as well. That’s what I got from it anyway.
I love my frivolity, but I guess I don’t think of my words or pictures as frivolous if you know what I mean? I guess I’m saying that you don’t have to have an issue-based agenda to be meaningful.
I get what you mean and yes, definitely appreciate your last comment.
Yes. I hear you Zoey and as usual your words resonate deep within me. The days that I am seemingly obsessed with my Zombie Klout are the days that the darkness threatens to overwhelm me. Life is a juggling act and frivolity is often the ingredient that keeps us sane.
Die churp die
I really like this post Zooey, I totally get it. We all need a little frivolity in our lives sometimes. If we didn’t we’d go mad!
I used to spend a lot of time thinking and doing less frivolous things, but now I’d rather just enjoy this time I have with my little one, soak up the hours of sitting on the lounge room floor with her playing, take a billion photos (although to be honest that’s not so different from before!) and just bask in the simple, fun things in life for a while. All too soon she will be grown up and there will be less frivolous things to think and worry about so I’m enjoying the frivolous (and blogging about it) while I can. Does it mean I’ve stopped being a critical thinker and caring about things in the world or other people? No. I just don’t let myself get worked up about them like I used to and that’s ok too. My blog reflects where I am at this moment in time and if it’s heavy on the frivolous and light on the other stuff then you know what? Who cares.
Exactly! Some things don’t need to be defended!
Embrace the frivolous! I love frivolous, I love writing frivolous.
Which reminds me, I should start a distraction based tumblr blog for you. Full of kittens and jokes and lols.
Love this post. There is so much going on in this world and it’s not that we don’t care it just sometimes we need a break from it and think of other things and there is nothing wrong with that. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks CJ! xx
Frivolous, yes maybe, but I’d much rather pop on my rose coloured glasses and see the beauty in what is sometimes the most simple, mundane in’s and out’s of daily life over reading about more doom and gloom! I’ll be first to admit that I have Peter Pan syndrome and quite enjoy indulging in the lighter side of life but, when need be can pop on my grown up hat and step up to the block… blogging isn’t necessarily the place to do that though. Yey for frivolous!
Agree! It’s so easy to think that what someone shares on their blog is all of that person, but so often that is very far from the truth!
Balance. Balance and balance. We all need a little bit of this x
Great post i honestly believe its important to not have serious all the time in our lives. I to worked in Aod/family community services for 16 years before deciding to stay home + have kids i love living in the world, being hinest, selfish at times and able to laugh at myself too. If you cant do it on your blog then thats a serious problem. http://www.poppyfoxathome.com/2012/10/words-to-make-you-think.html
Thank you! I embrace my blog vanity. It’s a good thing
Or a lot. I need to overload on balance. Wait . . .