The World of Blogging



The weather is keeping me inside today. No long walks around the place, finding inspiration in the lessons of nature. So, I have been sitting reading, listening to the music of Jul i folkton, sipping a piping hot mug of Pero, while soup simmers on the wood stove. I also have been thinking about the world of blogging. It can be such a powerful thing, this blog business, we can share thoughts, concepts, lessons learned in life, the beauty of life, even when born of hardships.
But it can also become a high school like atmosphere. Full of the "am I as popular as she is ?" type mentality. The worry that some feel when a reader moves on, no longer visiting. It reminds me of the girl, lonely in 9th grade who asked, "why don't you want to be my friend ?" when you never thought you were not her friend. There is a subtle, unspoken peer pressure in the world of blogging, measuring ones worth by stat counters and comments. When in reality, blogging should be just simply good for sharing, putting in print what matters to you. An on line journal or perhaps a show and tell thing. Your worth doesn't come by way of 76 comments on a post, or even 0 comments. Your worth is in who you are, for being born with a purpose, even if that purpose is not fully clear to you at this time.
Measure your worth not by stats or comments, but by who you are now and by looking at your dreams and aspirations and the journey to reach them.
"Let the world know you as you are, not as you think you should be, because sooner or later, if you are posing, you will forget the pose, and then where are you?"
~Fanny Brice ~
I am slowly learning to be more of me, without worry about the expectations I believe, true or not, of what others have of me. It's growing more comfortable every day, this being in my own skin thing. I have finally figured out that writing on my blog is just the pouring out of my thoughts which need to exist for me, or I fear I would explode and if by chance others enjoy what my thoughts are, that is simply an extra blessing for me.

Comments

Tracy said…
So true. Every word of it. It certainly shouldn't be a contest, and we certainly shouldn't be consumed by it either.

Lovely pictures as always!
~Bren~ said…
Amen. I started my blog for one reason and maintain that reason. It is a journal for my grandchildren and future great grandchildren. And for my little children to be able to look back and say "I remember that! Mom use to always do a Tackle It Tuesday"!
I have had the added benifit of finding some wonderful women here too and have gleaned from them through humility. If I never got another comment, I would continue writing my blog!
Teresa said…
Questions I used to ask myself:

What if there were no comment section at all?

Do the comments teach me something I didn't already know?

Why do I feel let down if I can see that people have visited but no one has commented?

Very enlightening at times: I realized that I wanted female companionship and encouragement. Was that a bad or unhealthy thing? Was I "strong enough" to turn my back on negative comments.

Things I thought about too.
Lib said…
Amen Sister! Keep up the great postings! You give us lots of food for thought and for that Thanks!:o)
Blessins', Lib
I really enjoyed that. I try not to worry what others think or if anyone commented. But sometimes that ugly monster that makes me paranoid, that no one likes me, rears it's ugly head! i do have a counter on my blog but only because it is so neat to see where others are from. God, I pray, let my blog be for the right reasons and always honor you in what is said or done there!
Patty said…
unabashedly, I love my stat counter, it shocks me to see that more than 10 people look at my blog a day. But I have long since hung up any idea that the numbers or the comments have to do with my value : )
thanks for the award! i'm glad you've been enjoying reading my thoughts, and i always enjoy reading yours as well! i always think it's funny because i have no clue really who reads my blog. i don't have a lot of commentors but it doesn't bother me. several of my family members read but don't feel comfortable posting comments and so i get emails from them instead about my posts at times. i always wait to post until i have time or i feel that something is important to share, but i guess i don't always feel that others have to read or comment on it. and i recognize that i'm absolutely horrible at writing back to commentors anyway! :-) but i do see the value in them and appreciate the words of encouragement that i can leave or that are left by others! hope you are having a beautiful day now that the rain has passed!
pomo housewife said…
nice thoughts. I have a 'day job' blog that gets a lot of visitors - it's with a big publishing company - but when I've lost a regular forum member, I've felt really bad about it. That I've let them down in some way. Once, someone asked for advice, which I gave honestly, offending them in the process.

Difficult, isn't it. But I can't be other than who I am; I do my best, and the internet is an odd place - people wander in, find something of value, stay a while, and often move on.

I think it's worth remembering that many of those readers who've come and gone have often taken something of great value with them - a little piece of wisdom, an idea, or even just a moment of encouragement.

I like being able to make comments on a blog I've enjoyed.

Helen

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