New name, new platform, same subjects

I was one of more than 200 ChicagoNow bloggers left in the lurch when the owner, Tribune Publishing, abruptly shut down the website in August.

After taking a few months to see whether I missed blogging, I’m launching Sincerely, Marianne. The old blog was called Retired in Chicago, a title I chose impulsively and then regretted because only occasionally did I write about retirement. Thinking about what to call the new one, I played with my surname (Gossiping, Gossamery, Gossipry), but nothing fit the content. Sincerely, Marianne, while not catchy, captures the nature of a personal blog — it’s like a letter to a friend.

Unlike many unfortunate ChicagoNow bloggers, I didn’t lose all of my posts — first drafts are on my computer. I lost the names of my subscribers, however, and so I’ll be building an audience from scratch. If I never have a large readership, so be it; I blog mostly because I want to write. But it’s always gratifying to have faithful readers, so if you find you’re enjoying Sincerely, Marianne, you can subscribe to be notified by email of new posts. Maybe you’ll tell your friends as well. (The Subscribe widget is wonky; please type in your full email even if it doesn't seem to be working.)

Some say that blogging is dying, replaced by social media. They’re probably talking about blogging as a marketing tool. Sincerely, Marianne doesn’t exist to make money. I write to sort out my thoughts and feelings. Also because I’m a word person, having spent my working life as an editor or journalist. 

Over 6½ years with ChicagoNow, I published 358 posts. It surprised me that I didn’t have trouble coming up with topics from my experiences and observations. I wrote about health, exercise, nutrition, consumer matters, relationships, a parent with dementia, books, language usage, my cats, taking advantage of the big city, gardening, politics (occasionally), and myriad other things that I felt others could relate to. Sincerely, Marianne will likely continue the anything-goes approach. I plan to post when I feel like it, not on Retired in Chicago’s weekly schedule. 

This platform could be discontinued anytime by its owner, Google. While Blogger exists, it is a place to process my experiences by writing about them. I could do so in a journal — and do — but in a blog I take care with the composition, maybe becoming a better writer. Also, of course, a journal is private, while a blog shares one’s thoughts for anyone to read. Ideally, the sharing goes in two directions. I hope to inspire you to comment now and then using the form below.

New readers, welcome. Faithful readers from before, thanks for your loyalty. I hope to keep you all coming back.