We had some time the other day for movies, and we watched Julie and Julia. If you haven't seen it, you really owe it to yourself; it's a delightful movie, and Meryl Streep could not have better inhabited the role of Julia Child. (And the scenes with Jane Lynch as Julia's sister are nothing short of a hoot.)
The premise of the story, based on something that actually happened, is that a young woman decides to cook her way through Julia Child's cookbook in 365 days, and she writes about her experiences in a blog that steadily gets a following and media attention. Throughout, there's her wish that she could meet Julia Child, and her wondering if the great one had read her blog. (I'll leave it at that so I won't spoil the story, if you don't know the outcome.)
I watched this film with delight, of course, but I also watched it from the standpoint of someone who keeps an online journal. Unlike Julie's, mine doesn't chronicle an ongoing adventure or project (unless you count "living one's life" as an ongoing adventure or project). There's really no mission here, as you've probably noticed. I have thought it would be great to have an ongoing project I could chronicle and share online, because it's neat to check in on projects and watch progress be made. Once upon a time, I meant to do that with my flying lessons, but you know what happened there. I could do it with my models and gadgetry. But, there, you run into the same problem I have with the projects I do in the workshop: I work on them at a glacial pace, and I really hate having to stop at certain points to take pictures, and then download them from the camera, Photoshop them...you get the idea.
And, aside from that, none of the projects I do are really that interesting. There's only so many posts, for instance, you can get out of degreasing and cleaning a surplus Enfield. Once you've cleaned and refinished one, they're all pretty much the same after that. Could I do the same with a Selectric? Well, I could sure take it apart, but getting it back together and working properly again...let's not talk about that.
For whom do I write the blog? For me. I know there's a few folks who read it (even a famous person or two have stopped in), and I appreciate it, and I hope they get something out of it, even if nothing more than an occasional laugh (for the right reasons, I hope). But, if no one else but me ever read it, I'd still do this. It's good for me. It helps me keep my writing skills at work. It also lets me get some thoughts and feelings out that I couldn't easily get out elsewhere. (Few things are less romantic than a quiet evening at home in which I turn to hubby and say, "I had the greatest day cleaning my Selectric II today." Yeah.)
Would the Julie Powell thing be interesting if it happened to me? Perhaps. I'd love a book deal, for one thing, even though I really have nothing worth putting in a book (though Heaven knows we could use the money). But, even if the blog remains forever the way it is now, I'm happy. I have enough going on to be content, and I like having my own editorial direction. It's one place where I know I'm in charge, and I like that.
The premise of the story, based on something that actually happened, is that a young woman decides to cook her way through Julia Child's cookbook in 365 days, and she writes about her experiences in a blog that steadily gets a following and media attention. Throughout, there's her wish that she could meet Julia Child, and her wondering if the great one had read her blog. (I'll leave it at that so I won't spoil the story, if you don't know the outcome.)
I watched this film with delight, of course, but I also watched it from the standpoint of someone who keeps an online journal. Unlike Julie's, mine doesn't chronicle an ongoing adventure or project (unless you count "living one's life" as an ongoing adventure or project). There's really no mission here, as you've probably noticed. I have thought it would be great to have an ongoing project I could chronicle and share online, because it's neat to check in on projects and watch progress be made. Once upon a time, I meant to do that with my flying lessons, but you know what happened there. I could do it with my models and gadgetry. But, there, you run into the same problem I have with the projects I do in the workshop: I work on them at a glacial pace, and I really hate having to stop at certain points to take pictures, and then download them from the camera, Photoshop them...you get the idea.
And, aside from that, none of the projects I do are really that interesting. There's only so many posts, for instance, you can get out of degreasing and cleaning a surplus Enfield. Once you've cleaned and refinished one, they're all pretty much the same after that. Could I do the same with a Selectric? Well, I could sure take it apart, but getting it back together and working properly again...let's not talk about that.
For whom do I write the blog? For me. I know there's a few folks who read it (even a famous person or two have stopped in), and I appreciate it, and I hope they get something out of it, even if nothing more than an occasional laugh (for the right reasons, I hope). But, if no one else but me ever read it, I'd still do this. It's good for me. It helps me keep my writing skills at work. It also lets me get some thoughts and feelings out that I couldn't easily get out elsewhere. (Few things are less romantic than a quiet evening at home in which I turn to hubby and say, "I had the greatest day cleaning my Selectric II today." Yeah.)
Would the Julie Powell thing be interesting if it happened to me? Perhaps. I'd love a book deal, for one thing, even though I really have nothing worth putting in a book (though Heaven knows we could use the money). But, even if the blog remains forever the way it is now, I'm happy. I have enough going on to be content, and I like having my own editorial direction. It's one place where I know I'm in charge, and I like that.
Well, hubby is probably happy you aren't taking Julie Powell as a role model:
http://www.usatoday.com/life/books/news/2009-11-24-julia-powell-cleaving_N.htm
Posted by: Warren | December 22, 2009 at 08:50 PM
Oh, good heavens, yes. Now *that* would make an interesting sequel, wouldnt it?
Posted by: ea757grrl | December 23, 2009 at 09:36 AM