Way back when I first began blogging for Abby (and Boo,Ping,Jinx and Gracie) in 2005 I was doing it, in my mind at least, as a way to journal their lives as much as I could. I can see my early efforts were sporadic. I did blog every week, usually several times. It wasn't until later that I wanted to try to do a daily post. But, back then blogging was "new", there were few cat bloggers and it wasn't until a few years later that the CB was founded and it was much easier to find one another and we became a community. Nowadays, blogging is being usurped by 'quicker' social sites, such as Twitter and FB. As much as I enjoy the rapid fire explosion of Twitter, you do have to express yourself in 140 characters. So Twitter is like a sprint to FB being a 5k and Blogging being more of a marathon. It depends on what your endurance level is to what you might enjoy. Or like myself you might find you like them all. But, in the end I will always be one who likes to sit and ponder and tell stories. Every day stories of nothingness , or stories of the heart. This is a great place to express as much or as little as you wish. In the end, blogging was always about Abby for me. In 2005 I began writing a journal about my search for what turned into finding Abby. So she has been the reason for my many words all along. I intend to continue to tell her stories. I took so many photos, and so few of them made it onto the blog while she was alive. There are years worth of documenting her stories and exploring my transformation since her death. I know for some it may seem strange that I continue to put such a heavy emphasis on Abby. But she was my passion, she made me a better writer and especially a better photographer. When I look back now at my early photography I know some of it was not having a good camera, but a lot of it was my own inability to take decent photographs. I got much better as time and Abby taught me. Oh my how she taught me. She was my muse and my inspiration and my model. She indulged me with sticking that camera in her face all the time. She gave me some exquisite images. She expressed her true feelings through our pictures. She let me see her through my camera's eye. Now those pictures will let me continue to tell her story. I don't believe storytelling is dead, do you?
Some writers have derived an entire career from one experience; you were blessed with Abby's entire life for inspiration!
ReplyDeleteAbby continues to be a wonderful muse-
ReplyDeleteMy human would be nothing without storytelling. Yours happens to revolve a lot around Abby, and I would not worry too much about storytelling dying. It existed before the written word.
ReplyDeleteTBT here: Story-telling is NOT dead. You were fortunate to have a special beloved story-subject in your life. Some (most?) people never do.
ReplyDeleteSpecial stories can come from old memories of the most dearest friend. I could write a special story based on Skeeter right now from his memory. But (and I hesitate to say this), the best stories of life are from the living. The past is frozen, the present is alive and new.
Looking to the present (and future) is not a betrayal of the past. It is a response to the human need to move through time, learning and cherishing the past while looking to the future for new experiences.
I won't compare losses. Skeeter's passing devastated me. But Ayla, Iza, and finally Marley, healed me more than I ever would have thought then.
I don't forget Skeeter, ever. Times come when I simply cry at his absence. But The Mews heal me.
I found a time to heal and move on. I hope you can as well, someday. It isn't easy, but is IS something that it is good for us to do.
Purrs from The Mews, and my best hope that you find a way to move forward in your life.
Not forgetting the past, but finding some goodness ahead. New loves await.
Nope, i don't think so. Mom loves blogging more telling about emotions and feelings and sharing photos than facebooking.
ReplyDeleteI love this. I'm not a writer or a story teller, but I do love how the blog is like a journal, as you said, of everyday nothingness but also thoughts of the heart. I love this picture dear Abby.
ReplyDeleteStorytelling had better not be dead! We just suffered through most of November on commenting hiatus while the head peep wrote a story, and she still hasn't finished.
ReplyDeleteMaybe your question is whether blogging is dead as a storytelling medium. The shorter platforms for storytelling are the ones that get all the attention these days. But telling your stories all in one place, somewhere you can control and back up yourself so you don't lose them, is huge. Social media sites come and go (remember Friendster?), but your blog is a great home base for long-form storytelling.
This is a perfect place for you to tell all of your Abby stories while also keeping us up on the news with Book, Ping, Grace, and of course Jinx. (Ashton votes for lots more news about Mr. Jinx!) And we look forward to reading all of them.
We think storytelling lives forever. We loves stories.
ReplyDeleteWe think storytelling lives forever. We loves stories.
ReplyDeleteI don't think story telling will ever die - it's what connects and unites us. But I think the way we tell stories changes with the times.
ReplyDeleteI feel the same way about my Finny. It's been hard to find my voice in the boy's voices.
I do enjoy reading about the lives of your cats.
ReplyDeletedefinitely not! There are just more ways to share a story and get lost in the masses. Keep on sharing!
ReplyDeleteStorytelling is very much alive and we shall continue to love it every day!
ReplyDeleteI agree with all the above. I so would rather write my silly blog about my silly animals and have people actually read it all than do facebook or twitter. I do do Facebook but just because I like to keep up with the people that don't blog as much. Blogging is the best. And no, story telling will never be dead. Take care.
ReplyDeleteIf story-telling is dead, I'm out of a job!
ReplyDeleteBut truly if you could see what comes across my desk, you would joyfully realize that story-telling is alive and kicking, making a strong comeback from its diminished existence in the early-mid 90's. Several of us agree blogging is to a great extent, responsible for this, along with so many great organizations & online communities that promote the ancient idea that everyone has a story to tell, and one needn't be a *GREAT SCHOLAR* to tell your tail!
~Vicat
No storytelling is not dead. I used to enjoy telling the tales of Eric and Flynn's adventures out exploring the fields and giving them dialogue. It has been difficult to put Flynn's lone adventures as a story, but hopefully the ideas will come back in time.
ReplyDeleteLike you with Abby, I want to keep Eric's memory alive for others to remember him. It helps.
I should do more on fb but I don't. Some out there more than make up for my absence in that medium. I blogged about my surgery on the at blog in my words. I have a hard time keeping it only for the cats and I've had it for 8 years so I'm used to it. Call me an "old dog" I guess. I like the old & familiar. I love looking at others FB pages though...and I love this blog and your photos.
ReplyDeleteInteresting question. I don't think storytelling is dead. Those that have a knack for it will always do it in some form or other. I started out with Mario as a way of telling about his stomatitis diease and how he had to have his teeth removed. It's amazing the number of people that have read those pages (as poorly written as they were). I hope to stay in blogging as long as I have something to write about - a pet at hand. Unfortunately, I don't have the imagination to come up with a real story.
ReplyDeleteStorytelling will never die. It's just being reduced to LOL and 140 words, if texting and Twitter have a vote. But there are still many who like to tell a story on a blog, as evidenced by the scores of new blogs every day.
ReplyDeleteI do not think storytelling will ever be dead to a writer. Little snippets like those found on Twitter and Facebook are a nice change of pace now and then, but they can never take the place of good, thoughtful storytelling. Nice post.
ReplyDeleteA good story for me should have the power to make an emotional impact - whether in 140 characters or in a blog post! It's quality over quantity.
ReplyDeleteI still remember how your words during and after angel Abby's illness broke my heart. Take care
x
I so enjoyed this. Storytelling is a blessing to the reader. Maybe I can put my memories of my sweet Kassey on my blog, things that I have posted about in the past. I hope this takes after the problems I've had on here today.
ReplyDeleteI so enjoyed this. Storytelling is a blessing to the reader. Maybe I can put my memories of my sweet Kassey on my blog, things that I have posted about in the past. I hope this takes after the problems I've had on here today.
ReplyDeleteI so enjoyed this. Storytelling is a blessing to the reader. Maybe I can put my memories of my sweet Kassey on my blog, things that I have posted about in the past. I hope this takes after the problems I've had on here today.
ReplyDeleteThe Human would love to do Facebook and Twitter and write really good blog posts instead of a silly picture and a couple of sentences, but right now she works 10-11 hours days and between that and what she pathetically calls "real life", she does not have time to do much. She really struggles to keep up with visiting and commenting (and lately we fall behind as often as we keep up) so she says more isn't in the cards till she retires, or partly retires.
ReplyDeleteBut, no!!! Storytelling is NOT dead and she better say that since she is an English teacher!
As everybuddy else has said, story telling is not dead. Though we admit, most of our stories on our blog are of the short variety. But then again, even a few lines can be a story.
ReplyDeleteWe say storytelling is alive and well. You just have to know where to look. What a precious and beautiful gift Abby gave you, and continues to bless you with.
ReplyDeleteHa - you just struck a nerve over here! This happens to be our mom's fave pet peeve of the moment. You see, she happens to believe that Story is Everything. Especially in her business - film. If you do not have a compelling story - if you cannot touch a heart or bring a smile or somehow make that connection to your viewer - well, that's the whole point! *dragging mommy off soapbox now, MOL!*
ReplyDeleteStory telling will always exist. Your blog comes from your heart and in the huge group called Pet Bloggers, I think most blog from their heart. We are living in a safe universe here and I think few would disagree to that statement. You have a gift and you choose to share it. Thank you for that.
ReplyDeleteStorytellin' will NEVER die! It can't. What would us writer-type cats do if it did? MOUSES!
ReplyDeletePurrs,
Nissy
Mom blogs for the simple reason to write about us and our antics. The story will always be the reason. She doesn't do Twitter or FB and probably never will. Our dad wants her to start a FB page for us, but she says if he wants one for us, he can do it himself. She says, the blog suits her and us just fine. Purrs and hugs, Mauricio, Lily Olivia, Misty May, Giulietta, Fiona, Astrid, Lisbeth and Calista Jo
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