It is strange
Wed 22nd Aug 2007 by Ben Palmer."Does it feel strange, having people read about your life?" I was asked today by a Mum. "I feel it's a bit voyeuristic reading your blog."
I hadn't really thought about it that way. I know my parents, siblings, friends and some of the Mums and teachers at both Harry's and Emily's school read my blog - sometimes that's the only way people know what I'm up to, because I'm totally useless with a telephone and can be fairly forgetful about email as well sometimes. My web stats page tells me others read it too, but I often think of it as a number, not real people.
Every blogger has their own reason, and mine is two-fold. I want people to know about, and remember, puerperal sepsis: there is no reason or need for a mother in Britain (or any developed nation) to die from it, so fore-warned is fore-armed.
I also like writing about my children - they mean everything to me - and I like writing about the highs and lows of being a single parent and about coping, every day, with children who say things like, "I don't have a Mummy, 'cos she died and went to live in heaven."
It's not meant to be a sob story, though people do. It's meant to be a taste of a strange life that, God forbid, most will never know. Next time your other half has a go at you for forgetting to do something, for doing the wrong thing or just generally stuffing up; relish it - it keeps your feet on the ground, and proves that you're loved. Well it did for me, and it's one of the things I miss most.
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I think we all blog for different reasons, but the important thing is that you are comfortable with how much you choose to reveal or not. By the very nature of your campaign you have to be a little less anonymous than I do. I am attempting to spread the word.
Having campaigned for my daughter I know how lonely and soul destroying it can be, but there are also time when great wells of human kindness are revealed, restoring one's faith in human nature.
Thank you. Yes, I could have chosen anonymity - but would not have been able to campaign for other mothers half as effectively. I choose to share all (except full photos of Harry and Emily) in the hope of saving mothers' lives, and yes it can be soul destroying, and at times immensely frustrating. Thank you for the link on your blog and for spreading the word.