Make Money Online: My Social Media Story: How Blogging Saved My Life

This is a part of a special series looking at how social media has impacted the lives of its users. This week, the story comes from Nancy A. Davis.

A few years ago, life dealt me some tough blows. I lost my home. I wound up in a highly abusive relationship, and as I worked to get free from that, I got hit by a car and nearly died.

The scariest thing about being in that hospital for four days by myself was that no one knew what happened to me. I simply fell off the face of the earth so to speak.

At the time of the accident, I was also living in a homeless shelter. I was scared and alone. What was I going to do? How would I survive all of these feelings?

As well as having to go to court to obtain a restraining order, I also had many doctor appointments – how would I stay sane?

My Blog Kept Me Sane

Writing saved my life. Simple as that.

When I first got back to blogging, I did so under a different name because my ex-boyfriend was stalking me online.

Each day, I either used a friend’s laptop or went to the public library to go on Facebook and my blog to see how people were doing. The response I got and the support of my friends kept me going.

So many days I wanted to quit.

So many times I looked to the sky and screamed about my fate.

Being on that blog allowed me to let those feelings out. The love and support I experienced on my Facebook and my blog kept me afloat more days than I can tell you.

The Joy Is In The Journey

After being in the shelter for a year, I was finally able to move out. Living in a place like that taught me so much.

First of all, not all homeless people are drug addicted alcoholics. The number of individuals who have no place to go keeps rising.

Part of what I wanted to do with my blog was give others hope that they can get out of these situations that seem impossible. The biggest success of my blog is that I can give my voice to a group of people overlooked by society.

If I can encourage one person to not give up, I have succeeded.

Life When It’s Different

I have a beautiful apartment that I share with my boyfriend and our two cats. I no longer have to worry about where my next meal will come from.

These victories I share on my blog and on Facebook.

Signing that lease was one of the happiest days of my life. To be able to share that not only with my offline friends, but my online ones as well really made it even more special.

Online Friendships Are Real

Before I lost my apartment, six of my online friends got together and sent me a check trying to help me stave off eviction.

One of the women I became friends with through her blog messaged me and asked what my boy would like for Christmas that year.

I cried tears of pure amazement. This was something I never expected to get from social media.

I have role models who watched my life go from bad to worse, yet they never judged me. I hope they know how much they all mean to me. That support in my darkest hours kept me alive.

So, when people tell me blogging is my hobby, I tell them no – blogging saved my life.

About the author: Nancy A. Davis is a homemaker, blogger, and the shortest person she knows with the biggest mouth. She lives with her boyfriend Frank and their two cats in Western Massachusetts.