Today I hear it is supposed to be like don't blog about diabetes day or something like that. I question what in the world is "no diabetes day?" When I look at what people are trying to do for this day I think the idea is in the right place just the logo and message is a little confusing. The idea of no diabetes day encompasses why I blog in the first place. This blog has its roots from my daily readings of type 1 blogs and in particular one of my favorite blogs http://www.sixuntilme.com/. One day Kerri had posted an article on how her wedding dress had a secret insulin pocket and no one knew about it or could see it. Now I love how Kerri writes and her take on type 1 diabetes, the only thing is I am a guy and if you have read any of my posts you can tell I spend alot of time in the outdoors. So I was sitting there thinking how she gives her personal touch on daily living with diabetes and that got me thinking about my 24 years of camping with diabetes and all the type 1's that I have met through camping and scouts and how I have helped teachothers to be type 1 outdoorsmen. My head started to turn its wheels about why am I not reading about guy stuff and diabetes? There are all sorts of blogs that talk about children, teens, adults, runners, and athletes that deal with their diabetes. There are also blogs of parents or spouses of diabetics and children, these blogs have alot of motivational posts about how families deal with diabetes on a daily basis. I love reading all of these blogs but none of them seemed to conect with me as a diabetic outdoorsman. Friends at my work came by as I was reading about Kerri's wedding dress and they looked at me and questioned why my lunch period was being spent looking at wedding dresses? That is when the diabetic camper came to life, my friends told me I needed to share my experiences of an outdoorsman with type 1. I love to live my life and enjoy it to the fullest and that is what this blog promotes.
I hope this blog has found those type 1's out there that feel this same way as well. I don't need to complain about my disease, complain about how much money I spend maintaining my diabetes (don't get me wrong I like to discuss how to save money maintaining), or have a strong passion that has me shaking my fist at the diabetes gods. This is just a bunch of fun, outdoors, camping, product reviews, and getting into trouble playing life with diabetes.
So to all those out there that have to take a day off from complaining about diabetes or whining that you have to deal with this, I hope you wait till tomorrow and read this post. I think the no diabetes day should be more like "What hobbies does your diabetes have," or "What does your diabetes do with you." Something that emphasises how we are more than diabetics and we each have things to teach one another that allows us to play life with diabetes in the room. For the rest of us we will enjoy life and share it with diabetes to the best we can. No need to take a day off when you enjoy life. Lests all post about how we each solve the diabetes rubics cube each day. Life is too short to whine and complain about how bad anybody has it. Relax and have some fun! We are all given challenges in life that are hard, how we deal with those challenges is how we develop character.
Thanks for your email letting me know about this post, Dave. Am I supposed to take your post as a compliment or an insult?
ReplyDeleteEither way, I'm glad you're enjoying what your blog accomplishes for you. For me, I'm cool with writing about insulin pumps in wedding dresses and whatever else in my life I decide to cover, and I sure don't make a point of making others feel bad about their style, or topic.
"We are all given challenges in life that are hard, how we deal with those challenges is how we develop character." And how we decide to deal with those challenges is a personal decision.
Well, I'm not sure what to say?
ReplyDeleteA blog is personal...I'm happy you've found a niche you enjoy. Life is too short to spend time reading stuff you aren't really into.
Happy camping :)
Come on, admit it - the first thing you thought of after reading about the wedding dress was "there's no way it would fit me".
ReplyDeleteI'm with you. I simply can't blog about diabetes on a regular basis, because whatever I write about, I think about. Nonstop. And it's enough to deal with all the logistics of diabetes as it is.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy a few select "diabetes blogs." I have learned quite a bit from these. But I'm not always wanting to go there with my emotions every day.
I use my blog to figure out stuff in my head, and this stuff is coming out of the various experiences a day holds. I am not *just* a mother. I am not just a mom of a diabetic. I am not just a writer or a teacher, either. We are a composite of all these roles we play in life, and then some.
Hey Dave,
ReplyDeleteI see that you changed your post, and I appreciate that. Your original version made it sound like you thought the whole crew of people who blog about diabetes are a bunch of whiners and you don't find any support in any of those blogs. Re-reading your now-edited post, I see where you're coming from more clearly. Thanks for taking the vitriol out of your post.
- Kerri.