I Love an Owl and Please Tell Me What to Read

Boggle the Owl gives a hug
to an anonymous icon

Hello Friends:

Just when you think you have a handle on the new platforms, more platforms show up.  I've only just gotten comfortable with Twitter.  (Facebook keeps changing so you can't actually get comfortable with it even if you use it every day.)  Then I get forwarded a link for something on "tumblr."  I do not know what to do with this platform, really, and would ignore it for another couple of years - except that the link I was sent had something in it I really, really liked.  -  A certain owl.

I like it so much I figured I'd share it with you.  The 'blog' or whatever it is is called "Boggle!" and the taglines are "Boggle is worried about you.  Boggle is also an owl."  I do not know who is drawing the illustrations or writing the blog, but they are very informed about mental illness.  The author speaks primarily through the owl, giving out good advice and lots of warm fuzzies to people who really need them.

It is an excellent gimmick, and I don't mean that in a bad way.  By speaking through the owl, the person who is writing the blog comes over as approachable and non-threatening.  The author can say things through the owl that they would not be able to say otherwise, since it might be taken oddly.  (For example, the owl can say, "I wish I could come over to your house and make you dinner and listen to the whole story" and have it be taken perfectly innocently.  Some stranger online says the same thing, and it might feel a bit too ... familiar.)

And this owl is just so freaking cute.  I read through pages of responses that Boggle gave to people who wrote in with problems, and liked the blog more and more as I read.  The owl doles out much more than advice, he offers encouragement and a kind of unconditional love that is amazingly appealing.

Which got me thinking ...

I wonder what other really good blogs are out there that I'm missing?  Generally speaking, I like to read personal blogs from other people who deal with their own mental illnesses.  I like blogs that don't shy from the hard truth, but at the same time are focused on healing.  I like blogs that express the fact that just getting through each day is a triumph, and yet still talk about how life can be so much more than just surviving.  This Boggle blog was a surprise to me, since I generally stay away from blogs written by "authorities" in mental health.  I'm generally more interested in the sufferer's perspective.  Apparently that's not a hard and fast rule since I like this one so much :)

So how about this - give me three mental health blogs you read that really resonate with you in some fashion.  Maybe they make you feel like someone understands, or they feel very truthful and authentic, or they give great advice, or they help you feel positive and uplifted, or whatever.  I know we all have many more than three blogs we'd call favorites, but I'm hoping to give a visit to every blog that is suggested.  A really big list will probably just overwhelm me :)  FYI, I generally avoid blogs with ads.  I know there must be a lot more great blogs by and for people with MI than I've found up to this point.

Looking forward to seeing your suggestions!

Your Hostess With Neuroses

Image credit/info: Boggle blog on Tumblr - Boggle hugs an icon.