The Sunday Roast

Over The Hill? Never Say That About Sylvia ...

This week's interview is with Sylvia K,
who writes the blog Sylvia From Over the Hill.

Here's the first of the standard questions. Why do you blog?

Two years ago my son in Seattle decided I needed a keeper -- well, not really, but he travels a great deal, has a dog, is not married and the economy was headed downhill and he felt we could both benefit from my moving to Seattle and into his house. He provided a lovely space for me, but it was a difficult change for someone who had always been outrageously independent.

That first year was very difficult for me and when I visited a friend in Portland, Oregon, she gave me an article about blogging and suggested it would be a way for me to, not only occupy me, but would give me a reason to go back to writing -- something I had done for much of my life.

I played with it at first, but very quickly got deeply involved in not only writing again, but taking up photography -- something I'd never done before. Blogging has brought so much pleasure into my life, so many wonderful people and opportunities, that I can no longer imagine not doing it.

What's the story behind your blog name?

One of the first things that people seem to refer to as they complain about aging is that you're "over the hill" and it always had a negative conotation. But it seemed to me that the further over the hill I got, the more things seemed to make sense to me, the more beauty I was able to see, the more joy I discovered.

My original blog was "The View from Over the Hill", but between computer and Google problems, I lost access to the blog and had to start over. I didn't want to change the original message so I just rearranged the words to, "Sylvia From Over the Hill".

What is the best thing about being a blogger?

The best thing about being a blogger is the many wonderful people you meet, make contact with, the chance to exchange ideas. It also gives you the opportunity to join with others in the various memes and those have been one of the most fun things of all for me. It is those memes that got me to experimenting with photography and while I still have soooo much to learn, it has given me an opportunity to express myself in ways other than just writing.

And the friends I have made, the feelings of love and friendship with and for people that I would never have met without blogging has made it one of the best things I have ever done.

What key advice would you give to a newbie blogger?

Don't be afraid to try new things. Don't be afraid to express yourself. Look for those memes that tweak your interest and get involved. Visit other people's blogs, read what they have to say, leave comments. These things lead people to your blog and the interchange begins and once it does, the fun never stops -- nor does the learning and the wonderful experiences that come with the interaction.

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

Now, that is a difficult one because I have read so many that spoke to me, that offered me a new way to look at something, that informed me about other countries, cultures, people. Some just offer incredible beauty through photography. But I guess one of the first blogs that I read early on that made a deep impression on me was Octogenarian. His blog is still one of my favorites, he always has something meaningful, educational, wise and historical to say. I can't give the name of just one post because they have all been so significant to me.

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

Another hard question! But I think perhaps when I began posting a series of mine called, "Looking Back", just as a way looking at my own life over the years, the one post that I feel was most significant was entitled "Looking Back - A Personal Look at Color", which told the story of my marriage to an African American, in the 1960s, in Texas -- where inter-racial marriage was still against the law.


Today's Sunday Roast with Sylvia is the 83rd in a weekly series of interviews with bloggers from around the world.