Sunday, July 05, 2009

The Sunday Roast

Canada's Pride: The Best Bar(n) None


This week's interview is with Aims,
who writes the blog Big Blue Barn West.


Okay, Aims, so I'm still gasping for air after fits of laughter brought on by seeing a) your wig and b) your choice of reading material as well as c) the fact that you have echoed one of the themes of the novel by holding a cup of tea. Now that I'm starting to breathe again, here's the first of the standard questions. Why do you blog?

Many times I’ve wondered the same thing David – so I’ve thought a lot about this. I blog because it gives me someplace to tell my story as a "published" version has so far eluded me. Telling my story gives me a chance to tell abused people that they aren’t the only ones out there and that it’s okay to talk about it. The header at the top of my blog reads: When I was growing up my parents told me that they beat me because they loved me. This is a true story about a life of abuse – both physical and mental – and my long journey to find ‘true love’.

I have been telling ‘The Man Tales’ – taking people from my childhood where I was abused into a six-year relationship where I was beaten every single day for ‘the fun of it’. I have tried to show that parental abuse often leads to a person seeking out an abusive relationship as they think that is love. I am slowly making my way through my story where I eventually do find true love in a relationship that doesn’t involve beatings.

It also gives me a chance to talk about suicide and depression. Having spent time on a psych ward as a patient – I feel that with blogging I can show people that I’m not only a real person, but one who has disappeared into that hell and come back out the other side a better person. When I finally started to get better from my mental breakdown I swore that I would always try and help others who have been through or suffer from these issues.

From the inside of a psych ward where I was on 24-hr suicide watch – I could see how easy it was to fall through the cracks and end up alone on the street or in a relationship where abuse happens. I could see the stigma that is attached to mental illness and abuse. I wanted to make my own small dent in that stigma and blogging gives me the opportunity to do so. If I can help one single person with my experiences then I am happy.

What's the story behind your blog name?

Almost 15 years ago I went out on a limb and bought a rundown big blue barn. It had sat empty for 4 years before I bought it and I’ve spent all these years renovating it. It’s very important to me because of the amount of effort I’ve spent doing the renovations myself with the help of my brother and nephew and The Man. It is part of the original farm that the town where I live was built around.

Eventually everything I did used the words ‘big blue barn’. When The Man and I were setting up my blog and he asked me what I wanted to call it – Big Blue Barn was the first thing I thought of and of course we added ‘West’ because we live in the west of Canada.

What is the best thing about being a blogger?

Of course the best thing is the blogging community. I’ve met so many people in blogland and have developed some very lovely friendships because of it. I also enjoy watching bloggers evolve from newbies into people who want to show you more of themselves as time goes on. Watching the first few tentative steps blossom into the person behind the blog is exciting. Just being able to reach out and touch these people with a comment is very satisfying as well and to have others reach back makes my heart swell.

What key advice would you give to a newbie blogger?

The key advice I would give is to just be yourself and to write from your heart – not for others but for yourself. I’d also say be true to your blog. Go with how you want to be seen and stick to it. Even though we are all multi-faceted people – when we sit down to write we usually have a consistent form. Stick with that.

What is the most significant blog post you've ever read?

Like nearly all of the people who have been asked this question I have to say that I too have read so many significant posts that it is hard to pick just one. However…

In 2008 I was nominated for The Best of Blogs and fell into the category ‘Best Inspirational Blog’. During that competition a blogger I read was nominated for Best Mommy Blog. The competition was fast and furious and we were all trying to run campaigns for votes. One day Caroline at Laughing Along In The Dark posted that she wanted anyone who was voting for her to throw all of their votes to Punk Rock Mommy who had cancer. (The post was called Punk Rock Mommy Rocks.) She wanted Punk Rock Mommy to win Best Mommy Blog because of the lift it would give her as she fought this insidious disease (a fight she lost). I was inspired by Caroline’s unselfish attitude and by Punk Rock Mommy’s raw and vibrant words on how to live a life. The unselfish hearts of these two women – joined by blogging – shed another ray of light on my own journey. They made the mountain not so high and the path not so steep. The significance of what they both did has stuck with me ever since.

What is the most significant blog post you've ever written?

This of course was a tough one David because I’ve written about abuse, mental illness and grief. All subjects I have plenty of personal experience with. However – I have to go with my post entitled Let's Talk About Depression And Suicide. This post gave me the opportunity to tell people what they could do for someone who was depressed or suicidal. It is often a very taboo subject and this post gave me the chance to bring it out in the open and to help inform people what it is about (for some) and how they could possibly help. It also showed that people can fall back time and again into a depression and are never completely cured. You never know what is behind a smiling face and you shouldn’t let someone push away your efforts to help them. You have to keep trying or quite possibly lose them forever.

You saw this post, David, and made it Post Of The Day. I was very grateful for that and for this as it gives me the chance to reach some who might never read my blog and who I might be able to help or inspire in some small way. Thank you, David.


Today's Sunday Roast with Aims is the 74rd in a weekly series of interviews with bloggers from around the world.

17 comments:

Brian Miller said...

great roast. i really like the fact that there is a greater purpose behind your blog...abuse is a tough one...but you seem to have a sense of humor as well so...off to check out the barn..

Anonymous said...

Thank you to David and the roasting pit for pointing out another very worthwhile blogger who is new to me...I shall wend my way there toute de suite.

Akelamalu said...

I found Aims a while ago and from reading that one post I just had to go right back to the beginning of her blog - I read it all in a day. A great Sunday Roast David and a fantastic blog Aims. x

Janie said...

The picture had me laughing, too. Great roast of a blog with a purpose.

Ananda girl said...

Very interesting roast. Aims has me curious... off to find out.

Maggie May said...

Aw...... my good friend, Aims...... What a lovely surprise and a great interview.
I saw a different side of her with that wig and cracked up when I first saw it!
Can thoroughly recommend the book though! What a clever idea using it!
Well done Aims & David!

Word ver. TWOEAT interesting but not relevant!

Willow said...

This was a great choice for the Roast. Thanks, David, for choosing Aims.

Thumbelina said...

An awesome read. An awesome blogger.
Inspiring, funny and creative.
Unpublished?
Heck that's definitely their loss and our gain.

Leslie: said...

I'll definitely give this blog a look, but I do think I've seen it before. I'm going to "favourite" it and follow it in the future. Sounds like she has gained a lot of wisdom throughout her trials, some of which I might be able to utilise myself.

® ♫ The Brit ♪ ® said...

Wonderful Sunday Roast!
Every day we find wonderful people in the blogging world and you play a huge part in that David, due to the fact that you point them all in our direction! Thank you!

Deanna Bland Hiott PhD, MSN, RN said...

Very touching and inspirational!

Shrinky said...

The picture is priceless! Thank you for a wonderful interview, Aims. Well done for turning a negative in your life to a positive for others - I look forward to paying you a visit..

aims said...

Ahh! The photo emerges into the light of day!

Thanks you so much David for the interview and the chance to reach more people. I feel very honoured to be among all the others who have won a spot in your Sunday Roast.

Now that I'm finishing my recounting of our trip to New Orleans I will be returning once more to The Man Tales and bringing that story to its final conclusion as well.

Thank you for all your caring and everything else you do David. You are an inspiration to me.

Susan English Mason said...

This is a blog I should be reading. Thank you, David. I'm a violence survivor but I've only written one Flash Fiction 55 about it. I just can't seem to get past the lump in my throat. 55 words is all I can muster - so what I am saying to you is that I admire your ability to write about it. I remember reading your post of the day and I remember that it had an impact on me.

Rachel Green said...

Oh Super!
She is a fabulous blogger.

Daryl said...

Not only is Aims an amazing writer, she is a fabulous friend! xo

BT said...

Great roast today. I know aims from her blog and it used to leave me breathless and often with my hand to my mouth at what she has been through. I'm looking forward to the conclusion aims.