Day 18-Finding Enjoyment...Oh Martha...

Yesterday the blog world lit up with fiery indignation.  Martha Stewart, queen of the the Good Thing, allegedly has come to the opinion that bloggers are people who should not be trusted. Here's the a quote from a video of Martha that has surfaced:

"Who are these bloggers? They’re not trained editors at Vogue magazine. There are bloggers writing recipes that aren't tested that aren't necessarily very good, or are copies of what really good editors have created and done. Bloggers create a kind of a popularity but they are not the experts. We have to understand that.”

I don't know the context of these remarks, and I think that's important to remember before we get too offended.  But it seems lots of bloggers are offended, for a variety of reasons. They accuse Martha of being bitter because she is losing money when people blog and share instead of buying her books and magazine.

Maybe.  I do know this-there are a number of Pinterest Fail blogs popping up, where someone tries to accomplish something that they pinned only to have it fail miserably.  I have my own dried strawberries Pinterest fail story.  News flash: they're not experts! Did anyone think they were?  

I think some of the blogger popularity is due to the fact that they aren't Martha Stewart, that they are men and women who have descriptions in their profile like "I'm not a professional photographer, just a guy with a camera" or "I'm not a chef, just trying to feed my family healthy meals on a budget".  I think of the blog world as what we think the old days were like; where some housewives sat around the kitchen table and shared recipes or got together for a quilting bee, or your neighbor came over and helped while you worked on your car. We relate to each other, we share common interests and trials and skill levels.  We learn together, we fail together. 

I know some bloggers have launched careers (Pioneer Woman, Julie/Julia) and maybe in the secret heart of ever blogger is the desire to find success in what they enjoy beyond just doing it for enjoyment.  If it's true that Martha really thinks there is little value in someones efforts that lack expertise but does it simply because they enjoy doing it, that's a sad thing, not a good thing.  

It's a sad thing if we stop appreciating the things that are labors of love by people who are not experts.  The worshiper who only knows 3 chords and doesn't sound like Kari Jobe.  The grandma who made a baby blanket using only a basic crochet stitch.  The person who simply repainted the patio furniture and didn't age it or use reclaimed lumber to update it.  The people who do what they can just because they enjoy it.  

"So I recommend having fun, because there is nothing better for people in this world than to eat, drink, and enjoy life. That way they will experience some happiness along with all the hard work God gives them under the sun. Eccl 8:15

Yo, Pin that. 

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