Blogging has been a great creative outlet for me, a good place to vent, a means to cement friendships and a great place to meet people, even if I'll never really meet said people in real life.
So many cool things have happened since I've shuttled into the blogosphere:
- I bitched about a pair of boots and within 24 hours the manufacturers of said boots offered me a new pair!
- I got stopped by the cops (ok, not here, but in real life), blogged about how I couldn't figure out what I did wrong because the coppers couldn't speak English (which is apparently what got me out of the ticket in the first place) and a few weeks later some random person explained it to me!
- A friend and bloggy friend dedicated a piece of art to me
- I saw how cruel people can be under the guise of anonymity (namely poor MckMama). Ok so that's not "cool" but still worthy of note.
- I get all kinds of good advice from fitness experts, words of encouragement from other expats and people opening up about their weight loss challenges.
- I've been really inspired by some great writers (there are too many of you to name).
I love finding new blogs through y'all, though I try to keep the list short or i just know I'll get swallowed up in the vortex. I try to comment on all the blogs I follow and I do have my favourites.
This one blog in particular is pretty awesome, both with its content and the author's mad writing skills. But here's the thing. For the many discussions I've joined on this blog and the many responses I've received from my comments, this person has never ONCE commented on my blog. Not once. And this person's blog isn't HUGE a la MckMama or Perez Hilton. This person has a strong following and averages about 20 comments per post. I'm kinda bummed about it really.
But that's just it isn't it? Though this person can surely relate to some of what I write about, this person might not like what I write, feels they don't need to reciprocate or just plain doesn't wanna. Who knows? It's another "cool" thing about bloggyland. You put it out there, for whatever reason, and you just never know what you'll get back. A post you wrote in 10 minutes for fun while BBQ'ing up some steaks could turn into 50 comments. A post you thought would go viral gets 1 comment from someone in China with a cure for loneliness, hot Asian chicks. An innocent post on global warming gets infiltrated by a dozen right-wingers telling you and everyone else it's a farce. Well you see where I'm going.
It's Saturday morning. Little Man is watching the new Dora videos he got from his Nana and I hear the water running upstairs, meaning hubby is up. Enjoy your weekend!
Ps. Yes, a lot of name dropping in this post. Thank me later when my 19 followers all head over to discover the awesomness of your blogs and the traffic crashes your servers.
Up to the mountain
1 year ago
12 comments:
I'm always a "satisfied customer" when I come by to your bloggy shop of fun here :) My daughter is watching Dora right now too. See how Mommy gets to blog!!
Ahhh, yes. You know you've been sucked into the world of blogging when you start analyzing commenting etiquette, number of followers and SEO. lol. Guilty as charged, too.
I understand that some bloggers only engage in community on their own blogs. Don't know what I think about that, but I think if you have someone who is really investing in your life by commenting a lot, that you would just naturally want to know more about this person who is pouring into you as to have an actual, you know, friendship.
But that's just my two cents. Now where are my 19 new followers? [So kidding!]
@septembermom: I would like to find the creators of Dora and Diego and give them a great big kiss on the lips!
@Hyacynth: I agree with your two cents but learning that this is indeed a very different environment for some and that I shouldn't take it personally. Though it's in my nature to do so...
This is the first time a comment on your blog :) What you wrote really hit a spot. It is very interesting to blog and you get to know a lot of people and a lot ABOUT people. It's nice to be able to reach out to people all over the world (*hopefully). Thanks for sharing your stories :)
I am new to this blog world and although I am quickly becoming addicted, I am still having trouble with the "no comment, no feedback" thing. I realize the point of this is to vent my feelings and opinions on whatever topic I choose to write about, then send it out there to the great unknown and move on to the next topic. I sometimes worry though when I get nothing back that perhpas I've said something unworthy of comment or perhaps - gasp - uninteresting! Haha, its a lesson for me, who is undoubtedly an attention-seeking people pleaser but I do feel your pain and just want to say I for one love reading your entries every chance I get. Keep it up - I am living vicariously through you my friend!! xo, M.
@Trilling: Welcome and thanks so much for commenting!
@Michelle: Your comment just made me realize that you need to send me your blog address again via FB! Cuz it's by invite only right? Please do and I promise to comment :-). I was enjoying reading your first few entries and then I lost ya :-(. And I too am "the attention-seeking people-pleaser" so we're in a club. Let's call it ASPP. This was officially our first meeting...LOL.
Haha, ASPP - I love it!
I sent the invite to your email a while ago...:)
thanks for the link love beautiful one.
the secret to happy blogging is really not to care or worry about followers, subs, number of comments, who does and doesn't comment. partly because good blogging comes from the heart, and partly because there are COUNTLESS reasons why a blog has few followers or a particular person never comments on your own.
First time for me to comment too!
I for one, am horrible at commenting on all of the blogs I read. For the record I am also horrible at responding to e-mails in even a remotely timely fashion. I think Mon hit it on the head though, the best posts are not necessarily the ones that people comment on, but the ones that mean the most to the writer. the ones that you look back on and think, damn, that was a fine string of words. or the ones that you look back on because you want to know just what you were thinking when it happened. rather than it become a public forum it becomes a public memory, and those are the best in my opinion. with or without comments.
@Mon: You're right (as usual). I have really enjoyed this continued experience and I've always and only blogged whenever I've said to myself, "I gotta blog about this!"
@Hairy: Well be still my beating heart!!!!!!!! How did you know I was talking about you?! Actually, it wasn't necessarily you but it soooo coulda been. I am feeling a little honoured right now. You might be too young to appreciate this, but Wayne and Garth, "We're not worthy. We're not worthy!!!" In all seriousness, I like what you said about "a public memory" and a "fine string of words" as those are my thoughts exactly on many posts. Obviously, the ones about my little one I can't wait to read at his wedding one day and then there are the ones where I unabashadly(sp?) fill the world in on my "blondness". But I'm not surprised that in the space of this short comment, you so eloquently expressed some key feelings I have about blogging. You do, after all, have "mad writing skills" ;-)
well I didnt know if it was me, but I do know that I am kind of lame because I dont comment very much (or really at all) on other blogs.
Thanks for the kind words, I quite enjoy your blog as well. I especially like the idea of breaking these out when he gets older. I dont have nay kids to embarass later in life, but I do loe being able to look back on what I have written after a trip, or a holiday, or just something ridiculous here in Sweden.
Keep up the good work (and my spring time resolution will be to try to comment a little bit more on all of the blogs I read).
Oh Hairy! I do hope you have kids someday and if I recall, you do have a number of female fans apparently "hitting on you" on your blog so the chances are pretty good ;-).
When and if you choose to ever stop by again, I will welcome you with open virtual arms. And if you never come back again, I will always cherish your first comment...ha!
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