The Life of Bon: Honest blogging

Sunday, October 06, 2013

Honest blogging

I was reading a post tonight written by my sister about whether or not bloggers are "happier than the rest of us."  I have a lot of conflicting feelings about blogging, but I do know that I want my blog to be honest, sincere, and vulnerable.  I want my blog to be uplifting.  I want people to be happier after having read my blog than they were before they came.  Anytime I think long and hard about blogging it comes back to that feeling that I want to be honest.  Honest honest honest.

And, so.  Some honesty.



1.  I like to be in control at all times.  I didn't realize this about myself until I was about 21 and my brother said I am a "my way or the highway" type of person.  I have tried to work on it, but I am still crazy stubborn.  For that reason (and many others) I am not the easiest person in the world to be married to.

2.  I am the opposite of a germ-a-phobe.  In fact, I kind of embrace germs.  I have this theory that the more you are exposed to germs the healthier your body will be, and that we're certainly not doing our bodies any favors by protecting them from every germ on the planet.  I eat candy if it's fallen on the floor and I brush my teeth with Greg's toothbrush and when I worked at Sizzler I ate french fries off of the plates I bussed.  I very rarely get sick.

3. I majored in English Education at BYU and graduated in 2010.  My classes were a mix of English type classes (Adolescent Literature, Creative Writing, etc.) and Teaching Classes (Classroom management, Teaching multi cultures.)  I loved the English ones, hated the teaching ones.  There is something cruelly ironic about a poorly taught class on how to be a good teacher.

4.  I am fiercely competitive.

5.  I don't like to go to bed early, and I don't like to wake up early.  The most difficult thing about teaching is that I have to wake up at 6:30.  I consistently stay up past 11:00 or 12:00 doing nothing at all important, I just like to be awake late.

6.  I always always always have my toenails painted.  Non painted toenails creep me out.

7.  I am one of eight children- four boys and four girls.  I am number seven out of the eight.  Six of my older siblings are married and my little sister is engaged.  I have sixteen nieces and nephews. November will mark four years since my dad passed away.

8.  The first time I ever went to the dentist I had eight cavities.  The next time I went I had ten cavities.  When I was in high school I had to get a root canal.  I soon wised up and just stopped going.  I haven't been for six years but my teeth don't hurt yet, so I assume I'm okay?

9.  My first kiss was when I was 18 years old.

10.  I have been married for two and a half years.  It is no small miracle that we survived the first year as we are insanely different, but I love the boy with everything in me and consider him to be one of the greatest gifts that God has ever given me.  He loves babies and puppies (neither of which I have given him yet)- a sure sign of his innate goodness.

11.  In June I turned 27 years old, but I have a baby face and don't look my age.  Because I teach in a high school setting I am often mistaken for a student.  It is flattering, but it does get a bit old.

12.  I believe in a God that is much more merciful and loving and kind than we can ever imagine.  There is so much I don't know about Him but I know that He loves His children, and for now that has to be enough.

13.  I was named after my mom's mom, Bonnie Turner.  She was a real spitfire with a specialty in making mayonnaise casseroles and giving advice about going on dates with boys you don't like (Just touch his leg for practice!).  She passed away while I was on my mission in Argentina and I cried for a day straight.

14.  I don't like fast food.

15.  When I was seventeen years old I stayed out until 4 am with friends.  The only thing I ate all night was a can of pringles.  At about 7 am I threw up the pringles and continued throwing up consistently every 30 minutes for the next 24 hours.  It was the sickest I have ever been and I have never eaten a pringle since.

16.  I discovered the trick to getting people to like you is to like them.  People don't care about you, they care if you care about them.  I try hard to ask people questions about their lives, their weekends, how are you, etc.  It goes a long way.

17.  Sometimes I am not so good at the above.  One of the things that drives me crazy about myself is how sassy I can be.  I get riled up easily and sometimes say mean things to people I love.  I am too opinionated.  I care too much about stuff that doesn't matter in the long run.  I'm working on it, but since when was it so difficult to be a kind human being?

18.  When I was in high school and college the best compliment I could receive is that someone thought I was funny.  I craved that more than being pretty, more than being smart, more than anything else.  Now my favorite compliment is that I am kind, but I don't get that too often which means I need to work on it.

19.  One of my absolute favorite things in this world is to kiss.

20.  I've felt kind of wonky emotional and strange the past few days so I apologize if this post feels all sort of whack.  Like you thought it was supposed to be funny and then it got deeply serious and then all of a sudden I was talking about how much I like to kiss?  The truth is I want you to know from the bottom of my heart how much I appreciate all you who read this blog.  I have made such great friendships and received so much love from this blog and even been able to help out my family financially.  I look at this blog as a huge huge blessing in my life and it wouldn't be possible if you didn't read it so I tell you thank you thank you thank you. I'm even kind of crying a little bit as I write this and sheesh Louise, woman, control your emotions!

But seriously.  Thank you.


31 comments:

  1. Love your honesty. There's just something about bloggers who can be honest with themselves and their readers that keeps me coming back for more. I've done a few "I Confess" posts, but they were more about embarrassing and/or funny things I don't like to admit often. Kudos to you for digging deeper than I was able to!

    Alyssa

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  2. Anonymous10:04 PM

    Ooh I love this. Thanks for the inspiration, lady, and keeping it honest. I've been writing my blog for over two years, but every so often I feel like it's missing a little bit of what I like to call the "hot mess" in my life. Maybe it's time I be honest about it.

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  3. I loved this. I like your blog because you're so real! It's nice that this post went from funny to deep to weird. That's how real people are!

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  4. Bonnie, just wanted to say thanks for your sweet comment on my blog last week! made my day. Also, I enjoy reading your blog posts, even if they are a little random. It's refreshing :)

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  5. I love posts like this. Sometimes you just need to share random things and the most important bubble up to the surface. I like all the random popped into one. :] and number 16 is so true and so interesting...I want to make this into some kind of goal for myself. Thank you for this!

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  6. I LOVE LOVE LOVE this post! Too good. I also feel like a lot of those things apply to me. You're so great!

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  7. haha I love this entry, I'm so happy for you and it's really nice to be able to relate to an honest and amazing human being!

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  8. after this post i feel like we could be great friends!
    4. i never got the whole competitive thing, but my bf is CRAZY competitive. the 3/4th time we hung out we were all playing cards against humanity and he was so mad because i was winning. he said if he didn't have such a crush on me he would have stopped playing
    6. i'm the same way. even in the winter i need my toes painted. they look naked without polish.
    8.i hate the dentist. i cry when i have to go, even at 21 years old. and i always have cavities from weak teeth :(
    9. i'm kind of glad you admit this bc that's how old i was too and i was so embarassed for the longest time and lied and told everyone i was 16 instead
    hope you didn't mind the mini novel i commented with. i just found all these so interesting!! :)
    Lauren
    1sweetfairytale.blogspot.com

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  9. "2. I am the opposite of a germ-a-phobe. In fact, I kind of embrace germs. I have this theory that the more you are exposed to germs the healthier your body will be, and that we're certainly not doing our bodies any favors by protecting them from every germ on the planet."

    I can totally relate to this one because I am the exact same way when it comes to "germs". I let my son, as a baby, to touch as much he could that was full of germs and guess what, he's only got real sick ONCE in his four years of life. I am going to be the same way with my next son whom is ready to pop out in December.

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  10. I am with you 100% on unpainted toenails. If you aren't going to paint your toenails, you aren't allowed to wear shoes that expose your toes!
    And, mayonnaise casserole? What?!

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  11. http://www.empowernetwork.com/martinateamincome/blog/the-blog-beast-is-about-to-be-released/?id=martinateamincome

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  12. Love all of this, especially number 16 - it's so so true!

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  13. I love #16...writing that down in my calendar so I can see it everyday for the rest of the month!

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  14. Yes to the opposite germaphobe thing. That is totally me. And when I think about it I try and talk to others more about themselves than myself. If they are also trying to do that, it makes for a really choppy conversation, haha.

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  15. love the honesty bonnie, we really all could use this. I have a similar pringles story but mine involves doriotos- and i no longer eat them. and i get emotionally wonky from time to time, it's only normal.

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  16. kissing is a good pastime :)
    to think how many hours we passed kissing when dating (we meaning either ben and me together, or you and me with our own fiances, not you and me together :)

    and i believe your blog is one of the more honest out there.

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  17. Hi Bonnie! Before you posted this I already loved your honesty and the candid voice your blog has. I also did not like the teaching classes I had to take in college - waste. of. time. in my opnion. Can you really "teach" someone how to teach? I feel like you either have it or don't. You were called to it, or you weren't. I also look like a baby and got mistaken for a student daily. People always tell me to be thankful for this trait, but secretly it DOES get old. Thanks for another great post :)

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  18. I can't stand non painted toenails either.

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  19. Bon, I loved this post. My mother in law and I were talking about blogs this weekend and how we love the honest ones. The ones who don't make their life look perfect all the time. The ones that show you that you can go through trials in your life and still be happy! reason #1 why I love your blog! keep it up girlie! you're the best, and I can say that you are very very kind. I love to go to the roundtables because you are just so funny, kind, and make things very comfortable! love ya girlie!

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  20. I think you're funny and kind :)

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  21. Pringles make me sick too! I even thought I was over my aversion and tried again. Um, yeah, they still make me sick.

    I am a complete germaphobe! I got really sick in college and now every time I even get a simple little cold my immune system practically shuts down. I'm trying to chill on my germaphobeness when it comes to my kids because I know they need to build their systems up, but it is so hard fir me to just let go. Oh, yeah, I'm a control freak too! ;-)

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  22. I love it! I'm also a control freak who hates unpainted toe nails so it's nice to know I'm not alone ;)

    Amanda - diaryofanangrypregnantlady.blogspot.com

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  23. Just wanted to let you know how much I love your blog. I look forward to it! You are always so real and honest. Love it! Thank you for sharing your writing.

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  24. Loving these honest facts!! I find these things about myself that I wish I was more like or how I may "see myself" yet realize later... that it's actually something I really struggle with and need to work on! I always leave your blog with a smile on my face and I feel uplifted and encouraged! :) That's exactly how I want my blog to be as well.

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  25. Love your honesty :)

    I am the same about staying up late and not wanting to wake up early. It's like I have fear of missing out and I must stay up late, weird.

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  26. Awww.. I'm a new follower and since we are talking about honesty here, I've read about your blog for awhile now but I'm such a creature of habit and am so stuck on the 30 or so blogs that I read and can't stand to miss each day that I'm picky about who I add to the mix because I don't want to add too many in fear that I might not be able to read all of them each day. I like to be in control all the time and I often fear that my current relationship, the second person I've ever been in love with, won't last because he's a man's man and won't give in to me. I pray that I can find a way to get "over" myself. I think that the reason why I'm so "insane" about being in control is that I lost my son at birth (full term) almost nine years ago and that made me give up "control", and then I almost died of health issues, which I had no control over.. I've had to just sit back and do what doctor's tell me to do because of having 80% of my stomach removed and I hate that. I just recently had a miscarriage and I just want to control getting pregnant and having a child but it's not up to me so that kills me-- why can't I decide what I want and get what I want? So I completely understand. Sorry to get so deep-- and yes, kissing is one of the greatest things too!!

    ugottahavehart.blogspot.com

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  27. I also love to kiss, if only I was married to a man who also loved to kiss but sadly I am not so I make do kissing my grandchildren...........lol

    I am all that worried about gems, although I always wash my hands after using the toilet and before handling food, that said as I was saying to my daughters today I remember years ago my brother had a mars bar and didn't want to share so he licked it all over and then offered me a bit and of course I took it and had a bite, he was annoyed that I wasn't turned off by him licking it and knew not to try that again............it was a mars bar yell I wanted some of it................lol

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  28. Bonnie---I love it! You've been very good to me--your sister and beginning blogger.

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  29. Bonnie, sometimes it scares me how alike we are. I really think you're me but in Utah. Or I'm you in Texas. This is getting kind of weird. I think Elisabeth (@bellatheblog) would agree.

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  30. Sooo hear you on #3! I have a masters in teaching and there were so many times I was thinking, "my socially-awkward math professors could give this lady a few lessons!" Haha! My worst class was classroom management. The woman was about 80, wore mini dresses and spent most of the class time conversing in Geman with her favorite student.

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