ah well, here we go

So I've finally decided to take the plunge and create my own blog. Now, I have a "diary" on my website, Teen Talk (www.diabetesportal.com/teentalk), but I don't update that very often and it doesn't really provide a way for people to comment back. I am craving interaction and the freedom that comes with having my own personal site. Of course, this could just be the ego talking. I'm sure it's a mix of both.

It seems that the diabetes blogging community is growing rapidly, but most of them seem to be thirty-something women with families. There are a few men. But I haven't come across many teens, though there are a handful through Xanga (including my good friend Mollie Singer- http://www.xanga.com/home.aspx?user=curemoll). Mollie, along with her sister Jackie, and I host Teen Talk, although I've been with Teen Talk longer. It started in 2002 when I noticed that Diabetes Station (www.diabetesstation.com) didn't really have a chat program for teens. I asked if I could start one and, miracles of miracles, they said yes. The website soon followed. It's been a fun ride so far... not sure how much longer I'll be hosting it. I turn 20 in less than a month, so I'm officially not a teenage. I guess I will keep hosting until I graduate from college, but after that, I think we should move it on to the younger generation. I've got bigger fish to fry.

I enjoy diabetes mentoring a lot. I didn't really have anyone around when I was first diagnosed at age 8. It's been interesting trying things how with people. There really isn't any other website just for teens with diabetes, so it's been quite the adventure trying to figure out what to put on the site to make it interesting for teens.

Hopefully it will continue to grow. I would love to be able to work more with teens when I'm older. I think it's a really important thing to do. It kind of gives me some purpose, you know? It's funny, though, feeling like you have purpose at nineteen. But it's true. I wonder what I would be doing now if I didn't have diabetes. Considering everything I've done and what I plan to do, I would think it almost be a bit boring.

Not necessarily that it would be a bad thing...

Boredom or Diabetes? Huh. What a toss up.

Well, the computer lab is about to close, so I suppose I should scadaddel.