Wednesday, February 8, 2012

The Thing About The Bloggess Is This

The Bloggess.

Boom.

Just having that up as the post title and I risk having my site crash.

Saying you've never heard of The Bloggess is like Paul McCartney believing Heather Mills when she turned to him and said, "The Beatles? I never heard of them."

Yeah. Suspect. Like that.

The series I've been doing this month highlighting the Great Depression Slayers of 2010 is now down to the second last living hero in my life: Jenny Lawson, The Bloggess. It took only two weeks back in 2008, when I first found out about blogs and bloggers to land at Jenny's site. Picture a woman, a quiet introspective over analytical woman who has been feeling like she fell off the face of the earth since she began staying home with her children in 1995. Feeling different and unlike the other SAHMs she's met. Hiding the truth about her depression, anxiety, and just pick a card already...they'd all apply.

Then she clicks over to a site and the post she finds there reads as if her brain has just been pulled out and transcribed. That woman would be me, mouth all agape, and spending close to 3 hours clicking on post after post at a blog called The Bloggess. Finding more and more words that make me feel like I found my tribe. The commenters there, hundreds of them, all saying the same thing: we have found our Mother Ship, and her name is Jenny.

I followed Jenny Lawson over from a passing mention on another site, it read "...like something you'd see at The Bloggess'." Lackadaisical like that, as if we should all just know The Bloggess.  After clicking over, I couldn't leave.

Because this is the thing about The Bloggess. She has this we're all in this together feeling in her writing. And it's sincere. You can't convince me otherwise. You feel her love for you, her compassion and you know if you needed her, for whatever reason, she'd do anything to get you the right words you needed to hear to make it through just one more day.

That's one thing about The Bloggess.  The other is that she makes you just want to hop on a plane to Texas and be her bestie.

To hell with your Fear of Flying.

Jenny, for the four years you've given me, and the many more years you've given everyone else who has fallen so easily in love with you, Thank You for loving on us. For taking us into your fold and whispering, shhhhh...it's ok, you'll make it -- I'm making it, look at me. Giant metal chickens named Beyonce knocking on my mofo front door and all.

I'm making it, Jenny, and you've helped me, by giving me a place where I feel I belong.

I love you, Jenny Lawson.

 Photo of The Bloggess by Karen Walrond
 **This blogger was one of the handful so implicit in my making it through the winters and the seasonal depression they bring, before I began my own blog in 2010 and became a part of this incredible online community. During this month, I'll be highlighting the bloggers I call "The Great Depression Slayers of 2010." To the crucial ones I clung to before I began blogging, the ones that pulled me through, I thank you.
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52 comments:

  1. I think she's on everyone's short list. She is what blogging should be.

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    1. There is such joy and camaraderie at her place, isn't there? Like a small nice little world. She is one in a million.

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  2. I agree with Lost.in.Idaho. She's also the funniest blogger on the web. Period.

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    1. Isn't she though? And so original. YOu just won't find it elsewhere though you do see attempts at imitation. It doesn't work..because it looks like imitation.

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  3. Love her (and have for years) love you. I'm all about the love tonight!

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  4. Thank goodness for depression slayers.

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  5. This is such a fun , warm and fuzzy countdown!!

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  6. What a nice tribute to her - I hope she gets a chance to read it.

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  7. I love Jenny. She is a ray of magnificence. And so are you.

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    1. Oh my goodness.

      Thank YOU for making my day.

      Really.

      xo

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  8. Oh my sweet heavens. I. LOVE. Jenny. I would totally be that kind of freaky stalker to drive and find her just to hug her... and then she'd sic Capernacus on me and Beyonce and I'd be done for. But I'd be one proud victim of maimage via taxidermied and sheet metal creatures. You can go with me! We can stalk in pairs!!!

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  9. She sure looks stunning in red!

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    Replies
    1. A beautiful woman. Who always looks radiant. Don't know how she does it...

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  10. Agreed! Reading her words and realizing that I was not the only one prone to hide in public situations or have general anxiety was quite the eye-opener for me as well. Now I cannot imagine my life without things like Beyonce the Giant Metal Chicken or hearing her stories about her husband and his penchant for robot tigers.

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  11. I must confess that I've not read any of the Bloggess' posts (please don't hate me). But yes, I've heard of her. She's that powerful. Even without reading her posts, I've pretty much read about her and her stories from the other bloggers.

    I have to say this though, Alexandra. In my case, I did hear about 'the Empress' first. And to me, you are my mothership.

    Love ya!

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    1. Oh, Sweaty. I can't say thank you enough. YOu make me feel special. xo

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    2. I was going to say the same thing! Heard of her, but haven't made it over to her site yet. But the Empress? You betcha!

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  12. You put this perfectly. Jenny really is the sort of blogger who shines a light for others. She's a special person.

    Also, last year the woman didn't sleep for days in order to make sure people in need had money for the holidays. I was in awe!

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    1. This was when I first heard about Jenny Lawson. I was super-new to Twitter and blogging and saw a tweet about how much money someone called "The Bloggess" had collected to distribute to people in need.

      I clicked over and was amazed to discover the post was all about thanking her readers.

      She wasted not one word on recounting how much work SHE was putting in or that she was the spearhead of the entire groundswell.

      She was simply in awe of the support and love pouring in from her people. My jaw dropped. I was beyond impressed and inspired.

      Then I saw the words "Like Mother Teresa, Only Better" and I fell in love.

      Thanks again for this series, Alexandra.
      I love when people pay it forward...

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    2. I know. We could go on forever with how she is seized with an idea on how to help. She wants to end suffering, I feel it.

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    3. I think we should clone her, so we can all have her as a next-door neighbor and we can visit each night for a drink & some laughs. But then again, we could do the same for you ;~).

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  13. I also enjoy reading the Blogress. Her post on depression hit it head on.

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  14. I could not agree more. Jenny is very special to me though we have never met. She has a way of making you feel like she is there with you holding your hand.

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  15. What an awesome tribute. I agree - Jenny is one pretty amazing woman.

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  16. I really need to start reading her. I've only read one of her posts and I know she's great.

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  17. She's definitely one of my favorites too!

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  18. She is definitely my favorite. Never leave her site without at least a guffaw

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  19. Oh, I can't even begin to describe Jenny. She is a force of nature - and yet one of the most down to earth, generous people I know.

    What can I say? I'm a FAN.

    XOXO

    A.

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  20. She's gorgeous in that photo. I have loved every blogger whom you have directionally pointed me, the new kid. Thanks for that!

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  21. I've only recently discovered her, in my little blogging world. What's not to love about her? She comes across as very genuine and sincere, with a big heart.

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  22. What more can I say other than I agree with you 100%. Jenny is amazing. I love how she brings humour and light to the darkness that is mental illness. I love how she can turn a stuffed boars head into a Christmas Miracle. I love how she helps each and everyone of her readers reach towards becoming furiously happy. She is simply an example of amazing blogging can be.
    Jenn

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    1. That's exactly it: such a dark topic, but she somehow makes it triumphant.

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  23. Oh yes, much love for her.
    You know what else is cool?
    YOU are kinda like that for a lot of people too.
    xoxo

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  24. Hell to the yeah!!!!!!! Absolutely love her. She is one of the realist person on earth.

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  25. --You had me on "The Bloggess."
    If there's one thing that turns me on...It's an authentic "Voice."

    I want her as my BFF. I want to guest post for her. I want my name on her sidebar.

    Of course, I feel the same way about you, dear.

    Love. Love. Love.

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    1. That's what Jenny does. Make you feel less alone. I love her.

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  26. Would it be travesty to announce to the world that much as I love Jenny, I love you more?

    No, no it is not, because that is the truth :)

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  27. Oh, my love of the Bloggress runs deep . . . very deep. And, yeah, reading her blog, well, it's really damn difficult to be depressed. She writes with a heartfelt hilarity that I wish I could bottle.

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  28. It's amazing how one person can effect so many others, and in such a wonderful way. I love her lighthearted posts, I adore her meaningful ones, and her ones about depression and anxiety- those make me feel like I'm going to make it. Because, like you said, SHE is making it. And taking us all with her.

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  29. that blogess. she's pretty much amazing all the way around. she (and wendi aarons and erica at freefringes) actually make me think that Texas isn't all bad. And that is really quite a statement for me to make. When people bad mouth the interwebs and talk about all the crap floating around in the ether, Blogess is one place I point them as a way of saying wrongo, batman. Of course, your blog is another such example. So there's that. You, Empress, are right up there with the metal chicken. Which is not something you get told everyday. Or maybe *you* do, I dunno. In any case, I am loving this series and the generosity of spirit behind it.

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  30. You and the Bloggess both have a way to speaking directly to people's hearts through your words, selflessly and without ulterior motives...that's why we all love you both... :-)

    p.s. I love this countdown

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  31. She really is something else. That reminds me, I haven't been to her corner in the web in awhile. Thanks for the reminder. Hope all's well with you, Alexandra, and wishing you all the best for a wonderful weekend. XOXO

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  32. Got a little teary reading this one. That picture of Jenny at the end of your post just sealed that sniff. She is a vibrant ray of sunshine that so many of us seek.

    You, too, are someone I'd love to hop a plane to hang out with, lady. To me, you're the wonderful sprinkler of fairy dust that makes the blogging community sparkle. Thanks for that.

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  33. Oh, the comments here.

    You, each of you, is so incredible.

    Thank you.

    I am so grateful to blogging.

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  34. You led me to the Bloggess, and Pinterest, and to a whole bunch of other things I didn't know. Now that I no longer work, some of my friends think I crazy 'what with the blogging'. They don't get what's out there. And to think I haven't even tapped into a tiny portion of what's out there.

    You need a metal Empress. I will look for one at next time I go to the Renaissance Faire in Kenosha.

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  35. She's pretty special.

    Like you.

    One in a million.

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  36. Oh my gosh. And so now you're going to make it easy (for those of us who are slow readers) to find even MORE great bloggers?? I can't keep up with my list of the wonderful 7. Hmmmm. Not going to complain though. If you want to write about it, I want to read it.

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  37. Who knew The Blogess would turn out to be this wonderful approachable-sounding person?? The fact that she's been a 'top blogger' always scared me off that she'd write in corportate slick-talk. I'm slow to learn that the internet is a truly democratizing force...that the really real stuff that people need rises. Like your writing.

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  38. I hope that those of you who haven't met Jenny, will click your way over.

    There really is none like her.

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  39. You just made me cry in the best possible way.

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  40. Something tells me YOU are a depression slayer for lots of readers out there. xo And you're easy on the eyes.

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