Does anyone know how an introvert wants to let you know about something? Since we are generally the quiet ones in a conversation, it is immensely tough sometimes to casually bring up a topic we’d like to share or discuss. Rare would be a time when we’d initiate the conversation or blurt out anything of consequence, especially if it was a subject matter leaning towards self-promotion or a matter of concern. 

Often we are content to allow the conversation to flow around us, not needing to join in verbally ourselves. We come to terms with the fact that even if we had something to say, we may never end up saying it. At times, courage is required because we know that when we begin speaking, all eyes are on us and that feels like a solo performance on a stage in front of millions. 

When we do talk, we may even try to attach several caveats because we want our audience to fully understand what we are about to say or why we are about to say it. Most likely our words will be monosyllabic and we will lose the point we were going to make, especially if we make eye contact with those millions. It is possibly the reason why so many introverts end up as authors. Words on paper are so much more comfortable and easy than words out loud, in person.

Which leads me to this next bit. How does an introvert let others know they have a blog for public consumption, assuming the introvert wants the public to read their blog? I am completely aware of the irony here; I’m asking the public how I inform the public about my blog when the public doesn’t even know it exists. But still, what do you suggest?

As a person who generally likes to keep from interacting with anyone, I recognize the oddity in keeping up a blog that seems to be written for others. It’s a little scary, putting your life on display for others’ amusement, even through a screen. Finding a forum I feel comfortable using to share family news is not easy either. Facebook has so many ads that no one ever even knows about any updates on their “friend’s” walls. Instagram works well as long as you only want to share ten or less photos with no captions attached, or you are a famous person. I don’t have Twitter/X or any other social media, so my options are limited.

I think I do want people to read the blog, but the reasons are purely selfish. I write when I have the words and to share our ongoings, but I need constant affirmation that what I write is good, worthwhile even. However, I would rather keep our family life private even though I compose my entries as if they are for you. How do I reconcile this?! Now that you all know how weird I am, how do I let you know my blog exists so you can read about how weird I am? 

One method I try to employ is to convince, beg, or bribe my children to contribute their own musings or stories so I can get out of having to come up with something of my own. It’s good when they do because then you get something far more interesting to read and I get to whine about having nothing to say for another week. Remember, the challenge was to see if I could update regularly, and typically, I feel simultaneously obligated and nervously happy to do so. But you’d only know that if you read the blog.

And so the circle goes unbroken and I am no closer to knowing how to introduce the danberall blog to more than the seven people who are currently aware of it. Of those seven, two are James and Caleb, who haven’t read it, one is Jake, who only reads it when I remind him I’ve added a post, and the last four are tired of me forcing them to read each draft, each week, waiting for a critique before I click “publish”. If you are reading this, please let me know how you found out about the ‘rarely updated’ and totally unknown site in the comment section so I can put a stop to it! 🙂