Sharing the Love

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I lost three followers over the past week.  It's weird because of the lack of social interaction on blogs anymore, I don't know who they are.  I feel the loss in numbers, but I didn't know them.  The anonymity of the internet can be a sad thing.  I'd like to know people better, but the comments on blogs has really died out.  Unless you are some super star mega blogger.  Have you seen the comments on some of these blogs?  And then there are these big bloggers who have just turned comments off because they can't keep up...then I can't tell them how amazing they are.  Oh well...they probably know.

This Christmas I have been trying to give my focus to others.  Listening to them, interacting with them...making them feel important, showing my love.  This is much easier to do in person...to people we know, see and talk to on a regular basis.

How can I share this love and focus to followers of my blog?  

What have you done to help others feel valued and connected to you?

Writers, Reviews and Comments

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Not so long ago I fancied myself a writer.  I felt inspired at odd times of the day and words would just flow from my fingertips.  From the inspiring to the snarky, I was in my writer/blogger element.  When life gets hard, creativity seems to take a back seat in my world.  I bagged writing and blogging for a while.  I’m trying to get back in my groove, fake it till you make it, but I don’t really feel like my posts have much substance.  They’re not meaty enough to attract the avid reader/blog follower.  What I have to share is ‘eh’ or at least I think so based on the lack of responses. 

Once upon a time I thought I didn’t care…I write for me.  I record for me.  But the thing is, just as writers are driven by their critiques and reviews, so are bloggers driven by comments.  In the last few months since my disappearance then reemergence in the blogging world, the commenters disappeared.  At one point, I would get 15-20 comments on a post and now mostly it’s a big goose egg.  Is the time of blogging come to an end or are blogs moving in a different direction? 

It was brought to my attention that I might need to move in to the “now”…embracing twitter, Instagram, google+ and facebook to pimp my posts.  But I don’t have time for that…it’s sad really.  Now that I’ve been on my pity pot, please share with me ways that you are able to drive traffic to your blog and encourage comments.

Dear Anonymous Commenter

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Dear Anonymous Commenter,

You are a coward.  Cutting me down personally, yet not having the guts to post your name is a cowardice act.  Calling me a bigot and telling me I will get what I deserve sounds pretty angry and hateful to me.  I would almost say that it borders on a threat.  In a time of advanced technology and the ability to track IP addresses, I would say that your comment wasn't very smart.  And guess what?  As the moderator of my own blog, I don't even have to post your comment.  True, I am giving you attention by posting THIS on my blog, but merely to point how pathetically mean-spirited people can be.

I challenge anyone to find something hateful and bigoted on my blog.  I am a follower of Christ...Perhaps THAT is offensive to you.  I like to live life happy.  I CHOOSE happiness.  In these trying and difficult times, maybe you find it offensive that someone can actually find true joy.  You know the old adage "Sticks and stones may break my bones but names can never hurt me?". Well those words are wrong, and you knew it, and that is precisely why you said them.  But guess what?  You didn't hurt me.  I am confident in  my testimony of my Savior and I know I have done nothing wrong.  I will pray for you and your anger and hope that you let Christ erase that negativity from your life.  As for me?  I will blog on...

Comments

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I know you've been here, it's true!  I see my counter going up daily.  Sometimes I have 40 views, sometimes 80 sometimes more.  But by the comments, you'd think almost no one came by.  I enjoy a follower's input, reading their footprint and advice.  And, if your e-mail is hooked up to your profile, I usually try to say something back.  You know, just so you know how much I appreciate you.

Does anyone else think that comments are addictive?  I find my self checking several times a day to see if anyone has posted a comment on my blog.  If you aren't a usual commentor, you really should consider it.  I try to comment on every post I read.  I want people to know I had been there and appreciated their writing.

I write for me, but it's nice to know I'm appreciated.  It's not validation per se, but motivation to keep on doing what I am doing.  If you stop by, please leave a little note, so I can thank you for coming and check out your blog, too...

Bloggers Anonymous

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Dear Bloggers Anonymous,

I have this uncontrollable urge to share my personal thoughts with strangers.  You've heard of diarrhea of the mouth?  Well, I have diarrhea of the keyboard.  I am excessively typing out posts about anything and everything, and sometimes nothing, in a very Seindfeldesque way.  My private thoughts, musings and dirty laundry are all out there and "I'm loving every  minute of it!" (That's a Seinfeld quote).

I check several times a day to see if my fellow bloggers have updated their sites.  I lose myself in their lives, feeling more normal by the second.  I smile, laugh and cry with them.  Don't get me started on moderating comments.  Comments make my day.  It means someone has taken the time to read my post, and spend a few moments reflecting on some kind of message to leave for me.  I am salivating just thinking of it. 

I am seriously in need of some sort of 12 step program.  How about you?


Sincerely,
2busy (and if I must add, if I'm 2busy, shouldn't I just cut out blogging?)