Tuesday, March 24, 2009

A Birthday, A Blogoversary, and a Breakup

Today is my birthday and my one year blogoversary. So in the virtual time-honored tradition of Bloggers, I will list some things about myself:

1. This blog used be titled The Suburban Subversive. I worked for days ignoring the kids designing it before I posted. One night before bed, I googled my beautiful new blog and another Suburban Subversive came up.

What the F--K!! (isn’t it silly to do that when everyone knows the word is fuck?)

What the F--K!  I then navigated back to my dashboard and linked onto my blog that way. And guess what? I discovered I was the Surburban Subversive.   With an R!!  So I changed my title to Prefers Her Fantasy Life. Because in my fantasy life I can spell.

2. When I began one year ago I never intended to write a humor blog.  I merely signed up for every catalog out there, including Humor-Blogs.  Then all of a sudden people started voting my stuff on Humor-Blogs.  How could I write rant about politics or the spouse when I was expected to be funny?  I was trapped.

3.  And being trapped writing a humor blog can be difficult when one is going through a separation/divorce.

4.  I've been married for 20 years.

5.  I've wanted to write about the pain and guilt that ending  a history with someone can cause.

6.  And even though it is my decision, the sheer panic that can strike when you're putting your spouse's socks in his sock drawer and you ask yourself,  What the Hell Am I Doing?

7.  And about the countless number of times you ask yourself, What the Hell Am I Doing?

8.  I've wanted to describe how difficult it is to explain to your children that yes, you love their father, yes, you would give a kidney to him, but that the two of you don't work well together.

9.  And the silence you're stricken with when your daughter asks you if you want to die alone.

10. And the despair--yes despair is the best word--for you truly feel despair when you hear this song and long for that kind of hopefulness:





11. And the loneliness--because let's face it, there are only so many distressed-divorcee cards you can pull out with your friends.

12. But instead I wrote about John Cusack and Couch-surfing and my love of micro-brews.

13. And in a way, writing a humor blog has saved me.  

Forcing myself to look for the funny, or at least amusing side of life has kept me from taking my son's soft-air gun and shooting myself in the kneecap.

14. And being part of a humor blogging (and the greater blogging) community and reading all of you guys has given me something to look forward each day when I drink my coffee.

15.  So tonight I will be, where else, at an Irish Pub sharing a birthday drink with some buddies and tomorrow morning, I'll be back in this wonderful virtual world and connecting in some small but necessary way with all of you.  Cheers!


Post, where else, at Humor-Blogs.
  

40 comments:

Bea said...

Happy Birthday!
i like anyone who writes about John Cusack. i've only just started following you but i am enjoying every post!
have a good time tonight!
love the Gnu

Schmoop said...

Happy Birthday Meg!! Sometimes people don't realize how hard it is to be funny. But as one who has been thorugh what you are going through as far as the split thing...As painful and and angry as it can be at times, if you look hard enough there are lessons and things that can be turned into a little story of dark humor.

Happy B-Day again, and Cheers!!

*Just Jen* said...

Happy birthday and happy blogoversary!

Anonymous said...

Humor = escape.

Necessary. Important. Sometimes even fun.

Thank you for the behind-the-scenes clarification. As a relatively recent convert, I'd wondered... now I know. And sympathize. And offer best wishes/condolences, as appropriate.

Enjoy your birthday pint(s). Hoist with vigor. Drink your fill. And make sure someone else gives you a ride home in their Su(r)burban.

ReformingGeek said...

Have a great birthday and congratulations on the blogoversary.

It is hard to be funny. One year is quite an accomplishment. I also agree that it is good therapy.

for a different kind of girl said...

Happy birthday. Big, huge happy birthday wishes. Also, happy blog anniversary. I appreciat that in this year's time, we've passed into each other's lives via these words.

I'm kind of like TwoBusy...I've wondered. And I understand, on some level, how hard it is to want to unload but not knowing if you can because that's not what people expect when they swing by your place. Or maybe I'm projecting my own mindset onto you. Anyway...

Happy birthday. Enjoy your evening. Take care of you. All that stuff.

JD at I Do Things said...

Happy Birthday! Happy Blogversary!

I love "Prefers Her Fantasy Life" (which I just now spelled "Perfers") but I almost wish you'd kept "Surbversive Suburbanite" Wow, that is hard to spell. Anyway, I just think it's a funny story.

Looking forward to many more!

Korie said...

Happy birth/blog aversary and keep on keepin on. I don't know how you've been writing all of this around the difficult things happening in your life but it takes a strong person to both find things to write about besides the hard parts, and also to eventually be able to write about the hard parts.

Hope that makes some sense.

Oy, and I have to ask you something for your buddhist friends! I'll try to remember to do that soon.

Bee (the one who muses) said...

Happy Birthday! Happy Blogaversary!

I think you’re right in finding the humor out of misfortune. As for dying alone holy shit! I’m asked that too but for a different reason. I chose not to have kids so I’m constantly asked, who will take care of you when you’re older and it got to the point where I finally said “I’ll move in with the next person who asks me that!” and weirdly, they shut the hell up.

You’re young and there are a lot of even younger guys out there waiting for their cougar. Have a beer (or 10) for me! :o)

The Retired One said...

Happy Birthday!
One thing about birthdays is that you have gained another year of wisdom and experience....and humor about it all. Sometimes it is the difficult things that can provide the most creative things in our writing.
Stay with the blog! We love it!

Anonymous said...

Happy birthday and blog anniversary... may this day be one without concerns or worries or those "tears of a clown" Hang in there and treat yourself to a good pint or more from your favorite microbrewery

Kaylia Metcalfe said...

Happy blog birthday! My one year was last Friday… funny how life happens.

I have also lived through a divorce… something I don’t tend to write about because part of me just doesn’t want to. And part of me is afraid of what I will say or discover about myself.

Anyway, happy bloggy birthday and happy interweb thoughts about your breakup, here’s hoping you find peace.

And spare change… because everyone can use more of that.

Cat said...

Happy Blogaversary and Happy Birthday. I do believe almost everyone I read started blogging in March of '08, including myself.

One day Daughter will realize that staying married til death do you part in no ways guarantees not dying alone. She can ask anyone of the millions of widows out there.

Unknown said...

Cheers to you then! I'm heading boozerwards myself later.

Honeybell said...

I adore you. And can't think of anything else to say.

curlylocks said...

Sorry for your pain--but can I use your humorous lines :-)
you know the joke, and it was 52 cents we shared slamin poetry at a sub shop--you wrote half the ode, the part with the f word and the s word :-)

My empathy-cause you know I know how ya feel--

congrats on your blogaversary--real love the last month or two (post beer blogs) genius in those words!

Pearl said...

I had no idea...

You're one of my favorites. Glad you're here.

Pearl

Ed & Jeanne said...

Happy birthday girl! Have a couple of stiff ones at the pub! Drinks...drinks that is. I know all about the divorce and kid thing having gone through that process a little over 3 years ago too...married 18 years before that. We thank you for your humor and company...

Deb said...

Glad you can't spell, Meg or maybe I never would have found your blog. Happy blogaversbirthday! Set your daughter straight. Some people die with their spouse right there with them, holding a pillow over their head. See? Always look at the bright side.

sAm said...

Happy Birthday!! Yea...divorce/separation sucks. But you don't!! Love your blog - I hope you're out having a great time!!

The Self-Deprechaun said...

Happy Birthday and Happy Blogversary!

Yay Meg! wow double whammy! and great Bright Eyes video.

OhTheJoys said...

You're never really trapped. You can write anything you want. [Do you hear that guy from that baseball movie whispering... If you build it they will come...]

Debbie said...

Happy birthday and happy blogoversary and happy Tuesday.

Amy W said...

Happy Birthday and Blogoversary!!! Love the song, love the site and love you. Congrats for getting through this year and making it work in a way that works for YOU. I totally get what you are saying. :) Have a great night and hope you feel like a 20-year-old tomorrow morning! ;-)

Jeff and Charli Lee said...

Well, even though I'm very sorry about your divorce, I'm glad you chose humor as a way to deal with it. Because you're one of my favorite humor bloggers for sure.

Happy Birthday - I hope you had a great night!

KiKi said...

Happy b-day & 'versary! You're a great writer and a dang funny one to boot. We have a lot in common on this list!

Suzie said...

Cheers to you too! Congrats

Unknown said...

Happy....all of that. My blogoversary is in June I think, but yours came up first, so I guess you win a cookie, lol.

Anonymous said...

Ditto, what everyone else said. Hope your birthday was a good one and helped drown your sorrows a bit. But glad we can help you out of your doldrums too.

Angry Max said...

Happy Birthday and Blogganniversiterary!

I guess that was yesterday, so I'm a day late. BTW, I spelled 'Pterodactyl' wrong the first time, and I'm still not quite sure I know how to spell it.

Anyway, keep up the great blog!

Angry Max said...

That last one was me. Not sure how that happened.

Anonymous said...

Happy birthday and Blogoversary. What a wonderful piece and one that rings so true. I often find myself looking for the funny since I am expected to be funny since I too am a Humor Blogger. Thing is sometimes life isn't funny. But you are right there are only so many times you can pull out the divorced card to your friends. What a great and frankly inspiring post. Keep at it!

Belinda said...

Way to go. "That which does not kill you makes you stronger?" Truth will set you free but it will hurt you first!

I soooo admire your honesty! You rock!!!!

A Free Man said...

OK, this is my favorite post of yours that I've read. Now, part of it is that song - which I absolutely love. That whole album in fact. But also, the genuine honesty of it. Maybe you should stop being a humour blogger and just write what's in your heart. Beautiful, Meg. Really.

Kevenj said...

Meg, Good Happy day Fuck I've written this about 3 X's and I keep messing it up.Very emotional post,especially for me. If its not too late you might want to to see that stupid movie called Fireproof.
Just a thought.
Happy Birthday girl.
You are loved.

Anonymous said...

Wow, this is the first time I've read your blog and that's a lot to lay on someone the first time you meet them. I haven't been through anything you mentioned (mainly because I am a FLAWLESS speller), but for some reason I can relate to all 15 things. Oh, except for lots of people voting for my blog all the time. :)

Julia D said...

OMFG. SERIOUSLY, OMFG. I'M WRITING THIS IN ALL CAPS BECAUSE SERIOUSLY, OMFG. THIS ISN'T BECAUSE OF YOUR POST, THIS IS BECAUSE OF THE VAGINA. THE VAGINA WALLET. OMFG. VAGINA WALLET. VAGINA. WALLET. I NEED PICS. VAGINA WALLET.

<3,
JuliaD
www.homemadehilarity.bogspot.com

musingwoman said...

Hope you had a great birthday!

P.S. I divorced after twenty years of marriage, too. I didn't have a humor blog to keep me sane, though. I had Zoloft.

formerly fun said...

Meg, I agree with afreeman, I loved this post. Most of my favorite bloggers blog funny and the real, the sad, the frustrating, the ranty. I would love to read about all of you, and of course John Cusak and couchsurfing and the rest.

And the anming issue? Hilarious. Beyond hilarious.

Kirsten said...

Happy late birthday! I'm glad you started your blog. You always give me a laugh.