You're right

I don't really want to be like Dooce. She's weird. But you have to admit she has an adorable child. Thank you all for your comments and affirmation. I now feel motivated and encouraged to keep blogging. As my friend Jackie told me in an email "You weren't having an identity crisis until you went to the LAME conference!"

So I'm swearing off reading certain other blogs, because I have this habit of observing other people's lives. Maybe it's the writer in me -- I've always been an observer. For a writer, that's a good thing. But the downside is I observe, and then compare. It's the comparison that drags me down into the pit of envy. I feel I never measure up -- or my life never measures up. So I'm reading, observing, comparing instead of leading my own life! It's sick, really. And duh, maybe I'd be more content with my own life if I were actually living it.

So, from now on I'm going to stop comparing (i'm sure easier said than done), and focus on the life I've been given. As my new favorite writer Wendel Berry writes, "but you mustn't wish for another life. You mustn't want to be somebody else. What must do is this: "Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks."

I am still thinking about how to change this blog, especially knowing how difficult it is to comment. I want this blog to be a discussion, not just a monologue, which is why I value your comments. So switching the blog to a different blog hosting service might be the answer. Or maybe there's a way to adjust Blogger to make commenting easier and I haven't figured it out yet.