Update: Judy kindly made her way over here and explained what she meant, and all is well. Go check out her blog at diggin' it.
A little ways back, there was a discussion amongst garden bloggers about why younger generations aren’t interesting in gardening. Since then, age seems to be less and less of an issue related to gardening as our economic and environmental situations have worsened and people are starting to “get it.” Over the past couple years, we have seen more and more folks of all ages interested in gardening as not just an activity/pastime/hobby, but as a way to take control of our food supply and opt out of the corporate food profit cycle that is making us sick.
I came across this statement in the Christian Science Monitor’s diggin’ it garden blog by Judy Lowe:
"Unlike many younger bloggers, he posts every day, so there’s always something new to read and ponder."
I have a tendency to take things a little too personally, but my immediate reaction was that of being slapped in the face with the ageism of this statement. I am curious what the author meant, as I thought the comment came across as derisive and totally contrary to the positive feelings I have with the garden bloggers whom I follow and consider friends. I find it hard to refrain from justifying why I don’t post everyday in a way that doesn’t take the same low road as the original negative message.
I think the Thumperian Principle applies here.
I'd love to hear your thoughts on this one...
Feb 6, 2009
Shaking head: Updated
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
14 comments:
Darling Katie who's blog I adore! What a perculiar comment!?!* I can see how it would miff you somewhat. But don't stress about what some one else thinks - I suspect is it more important to blog because you love your garden than garden because you love putting up a daily post on your blog. Who has got time to blog everyday?
duckiexx
ps - I love the thumper principle!
What the ____? Since when were daily blog postings the gold standard? How about posting when you have something interesting to say?
As for the link to age--absurd, totally absurd.
I agree, something interesting to say is the foundation, otherwise what's the point and who is going to read it? Besides who has the time to do a post every single day, life happens and sometimes the blog isn't on the top of the list, speaking from experience.
Sean
No, it's completely reasonable. This guy is clearly retired and has a lot of time on his hands. He gardens and he blogs about it, to amuse himself. Because he can, and he enjoys it.
Younger folks have jobs to go to and can't always post regularly. Even if they might like to, but who really cares if they don't? There's plenty to read on the Interwebz. No ageism intended in the author's remark, I'm sure.
I will tell you an ageist remark I read a few years back, when young folks took up gardening as a political act (and note that previously, going about back to WWII and Victory gardens, gardening was a cute gig for old people -- but not all old people -- my mom would never dirty her hands for dirty carrots). These youngsters claimed something like they had invented the backyard garden as a philosophy, as a mob flash, as --- yech. Who's ageist? They invented gardening? Nuh-uh.
(I am NOT picking a fight. Just pointing out that cries of ageism seem to come from the young, not the old.)
I'd say chill. You're all getting publicity for a glorious performance on the earth.
The dude in the article is 95, so aren't approximately 99.99% of bloggers "younger" than he is?
Unfortunately, there does seem to be a bit of ageism in the gardening world. There's an article in the NYT this week, where Ken Druse and Daniel Hinkley go off on how they don't think young people are hardcore enough to grow their own food. They've obviously never met my family, where the older generation(s) have no interest in growing veggies anymore, but us "kids" are totally into it.
It's all a matter of perspective ... I feel happy to be on the "young" side of things. I can't wait to surprise all the old geezers with my gardening prowess. :-)
Not to worry Katie, the man who blogs every day is 95. What else has he got going on? I like to post things about my garden, but not much is going on right now--it's the middle of the winter.
IF (notice the capital letters) there are fewer young folks gardening and blogging, it might be because of lack of knowledge. I'm 43. I grew up in Missouri where all you had to do was toss seeds at the dirt and they grew into monsters. Forcing tomatoes and zucchini on your neighbors was a way of life. I learned from my dad. Gardening in central Texas sucks eggs. It's hard to grow veggies and fruit. I haven't given up because I know it can work.
I'm rambling---what I mean to say is---Is gardening still being passed on from generation to generation? Learning on your own (books, trial/error) is a hard row to how.
The theory of the article writer that younger bloggers are somehow less legitimate because they don't blog every day is ridiculous. I just don't have much to say EVERY day.
Your blog is great! Every day or once a week or once a month.
I just started a gardening specific blog but on my other blogs I try to blog daily or at least 5x a week. Honestly I'd rather BE gardening than blogging about it, lol!
One wonders where that comment came from, especially because I find it pretty difficult to tell how old someone is just by reading their blog. I mean, "on the Internet, everyone could be a dog"...
Sweet Katie, that comment irked me enough that I trucked on over to the offending site and had a read for myself. I just wrote a (hopefully) diplomatic but pointed comment on the CM site, offering some comments. Whether they publish it remains to be seen.
Katie,
I saw that comment and didn't think it was a crack at younger people. I thought it was more of the writer expressing amazement at how dedicated the man is.
Anyway, I remember that discussion from last year. I've got a regular visitor on my blog that is 17 and he's got a garden blog of his own. I think this economic mess may bring more younger people to gardening and to garden blogging specifically.
i giggled a little when i read that article. "With the text often in caps and various colors and fonts, it can be a difficult read at times, but it’s well worth persisting."
i'd rather read a blog that i can easily read, enjoy beautiful, professionally-taken photos as well as learn something. hmmm, sounds like your blog! just my personal preference... :)
I wrote the comment in question and it was completely innocuous. I meant that I was amazed that the guy -- at 95! -- blogged every single day.
I didn't even think about people being insulted about the "younger bloggers" remark. Practically everyone is younger than he.
And I'd been surfing for sites to recommend to readers and found that many of them weren't up to date and therefore I didn't want to include them until they were. (Readers feel that they're getting "old news" if they read something three weeks old from a new-to-them blogger -- it's different if you follow the person in question). That's not a criticism of those bloggers, however. Just what I've learned from experience.
If you'll check all the comments to that thread, you'll see that I did respond promptly to Jodi, explaining that it's none of my business if a blogger posts every day. I don't always do it myself, so who am I to criticize?
To me all this seems pretty much the proverbial tempest in a teapot -- total misreading of my intentions and meaning. But sorry if I inadvertently offended anyone.
Thanks for all of your comments. I want to respond first to Judy Lowe who kindly took a moment to hop on over here and explain what she meant by the comment that ruffled my feathers.
Judy - Thanks for taking a moment to let me know that you meant no harm with the innocuous "younger" comment. I see now the point you were trying to get across. I have been taken to task for things I've said in which I meant no harm, but upon second reading cringed and understood why someone could have taken offense. I recall feeling quite perturbed with some of the comments that came across last year with the discussion about age and specifically younger garden bloggers, and perhaps my interpretation of your comment opened some old wounds. I appreciate that you've stopped by here to clear the air.
For the record, Judy Lowe blogs over at diggin' it.
Katie
Thanks, Katie. I missed last year's discussion about age and garden bloggers, or maybe I would have been more sensitive to my wording. I think I've learned that from now on, I'll try to write more slowly and carefully. Judy
Post a Comment