For example, if a couple is getting married (like, in New York), then they might send out a wedding invitation. Now, a wedding invitation can be mailed or emailed or even announced on Facebook, but they're all still recognizable by us as wedding invitations and function as such.
The point?
I think that the "blog absence apologia post" should be recognized as a genre. People write them all the time. We all groan when we see them. Here are the shared conventions:
(1) The author of a blog
(2) has been absent from the blog for a period of time
(3) and wants to make excuses to reader as to why she has been absent. So,
(4) she writes a post in which she explains her absence,
(5) believing that her reasons (usually tough times) for not posting justify her absence
(6) and hoping that her readership agrees.
Here's the thing. People blog through some really tough times. So, tough times don't actually excuse an absent blogger.
However: do we really mind when someone takes a hiatus? It's like not seeing a good friend for a while. When the friend reappears (like, returns from a fulbright or something) you're really happy to see her. (No, I haven't taken a fulbright.)
So, here's my apologia.
Sorry I haven't been blogging lately. My new baby has wicked bad colic.
He's cute though:
There. Done.
Sigh.
--Katie Rose
