Andrei Andrei has been posting to his blog recently. If you don’t know the story, Andrei is the reason I started blogging. Well, Andrei and this idea his blog gave me for a short story about a woman blogger who falls for a male model because of his blog. I had no clue what blogging was about. I mean, I’ve been out here on the net a long ass time. I’ve had more incarnations of my website than I’ve had hair color. I’ve had message boards for years. Never once did I have the urge to blog.
Frankly, I didn’t really know what the whole blogging thing was about. I figured why blog when all my friends came to the message boards and chats to see what I had to say? Why should I bother with a blog? Well, I certainly learned that lesson in the last six months. The reasons for blogging are myriad, but the biggest one is the people.
When I created this blog (not Sunlight Sucks, but the original one on Blogger), I had a couple of people come by and comment. Some days, it’s still like that. I’m not that amusing. I don’t really have a schtick, other than the fact that I write fictional vampires, and I don’t always give you the deep details of my life and psyche, let alone cool cartoons with a monkey who picks his nose and eats urinal cakes. (Gawd, I love that cartoon!) I’m not sure why people keep coming back here except that in the cases of some, it’s because I read and comment on their blog.
The Blogger Circle of Life, as I explained to Motley when I created Socially Dead for her, is that you visit other blogs and comment. Then those people reciprocate. I told her, there are some people whose new blog posts you can’t wait for (ie Snackiepoo because you never know what facet of Hilly she will reveal today), and there are some that you love every day… except maybe one day a week (ie Avitable whose Lazy Sunday is all Greek to me because I’m a workaholic who writes all the time and never goes to movies or remembers crap from songs.) There are people whose blogs you love, even though they don’t read you, and there are those who are meticulous about always coming by and leaving thoughtful, inciteful comments. There are people who read you most of the time, but only comment once in awhile. When they do, they leave you laughing your ass off, or chuckling in your coffee at their pithyness, or snorting over their particular brand of commenting.
There are others who are always supportive of what you’re doing, even if they can’t get to your posts for a few days. Some do drivebys on you and say something short and to the point or especially perceptive. Others have become fans, because you’ve become fans of them. Some wish they could come by more, but always bring good wishes when they do. And there are always people who come by, because you have things in common with them, like writing in my case. Finally, there are people who visit your blog because they love you or have known you forever.
Not everyone posts comments every day. Not everyone reads you every day. But every day is a journey and sometimes the road takes you places you haven’t been before. Like the process of writing itself, some things are always in flux while other things are constants. The journeys I take each day through these places are all things that help make me a better writer, a better blogger, and maybe even a better person. It’s a path I’ve come to late, but like I usually do with things that are challenging and interesting, I’ve embraced it and immersed myself in the culture.
It’s a rich culture, too. Every sight (and site) and sound in 3D. These people… this culture… well, I’m not quite sure how it happened, but my journeys brought me to them, and now I find that no matter how painful the day may be (and lately they have been excruciatingly painful) I can’t get through the day very well without them via blog posts, Flickr pics, twats, or IMs.
The People’s Republic of Blogistan… long may it reign! And don’t forget to bring bacon and chocolate pudding along on your journeys through this country. The peasants might spork you to death if you don’t embrace the pudi-cake-a-cookie.
3 Jul
5:29 am on July 3rd, 2008
Thank you. I really loved this post and all the linking you did must have taken a lot of effort.
Either you really love all of us…..
Or you were incredibly bored!
MUAH! Love ya back.
metalmoms last blog post..Rocket-Not Rock it
6:05 am on July 3rd, 2008
Woah! Wait! How do you know I don’t read you?
I am the QUEEN of “read it in my feed reader and never make it over to comment”.
Maaaaaaan.
Miss Britts last blog post..The New York City Recap That Will Never End*
6:37 am on July 3rd, 2008
MM – I do love you all, but it was Jester’s show that gave me the idea when they were talking about the People’s Republic of Blogistan. The linking isn’t hard. It’s a labor of love. Oh, and I liked the schtick!
Britt – How did I not know that you are the Queen Lurker? Thanks for coming by to let me know that. I appreciate it!
I tell you, I am learning stuff everyday in this blog-country. Now, I am off to pay homage to chocolate pudding!
Winters last blog post..Journeys
6:45 am on July 3rd, 2008
What a great post, with a medley of mentions of who’s in your blogger circle.
And you hit the nail on the head with one of the main reasons people blog. Leaving comments on each other’s blogs is something I look forward to. I want to see what people think of what I wrote. If they have something else to add to my thoughts or memes. It’s all pretty cool.
martymankinss last blog post..Scooter Sunday #11 – Post Wedding Edition
7:03 am on July 3rd, 2008
Marty – Thanks for the compliment! At work we have this thing called the Customer Service Initiative. It’s all about how people appreciate being appreciated. Blogging is the ultimate form of that. So maybe your husband doesn’t say that you’re a great cook or your co-worker doesn’t thank you for something you did… bloggers almost always give back to you. Their appreciation helps make those other moments in your day easier to take. As MM says, I just luv ya all back!
Winters last blog post..Journeys
7:49 am on July 3rd, 2008
Clearly you should stop working so much and starting watching more TV and movies.
Avitables last blog post..The Throne Room
8:32 am on July 3rd, 2008
Well anything I was gonna say got blown away by the great post
Amy-Blus last blog post..Happy Birthday kiddo !!
9:58 am on July 3rd, 2008
Aww, now I have warm fuzzies.
So much for my idea of writing some new Trevor scenes!
Susan Helene Gottfrieds last blog post..Booking Through Thursday: Holiday
10:20 am on July 3rd, 2008
That was a terrific post. The relationships I have found through my blog are exactly why I continue doing it. The support is tremendous and gets you through the day, even the really bad ones.
I have tried to explain this before, but you did such a great job of it I will just print it out and read it to people!
11:02 am on July 3rd, 2008
Aww, how flattered am *I* that you read and comment every day? Very! You were June’s Top Comment Whore on my site, btw. I wish I were better about daily comments but lately? I suck it all over the place!
This was a great and linky post…I know those are hard work!
11:12 am on July 3rd, 2008
Here, here Winter! However I disagree on just one point. ‘I’m not that amusing’???? Might I allow myself an Americanised (note proper spelling) WTF at this point????
Still laughing
Livvy xxx
The English Courtesans last blog post..Financing The Courtesan’s New Biscuit Tin
2:48 pm on July 3rd, 2008
You are to funny. I really wish you would quit saying that. Something you say or write everyday makes me laugh or snort.
I thought writing a blog was bs until I actually did it. Now it is another way that i can get my anger out. I have alot and softball helps about 98% of that. I got 2% that has to go somewhere.
4:42 pm on July 3rd, 2008
i agree with what britt said…lots of us read in the feeds and don’t necessarily comment daily. but we read, my friend.
(i fell all big brother, watching without you knowing. hehe)
hello haha narfs last blog post..HNT – Britt, Karl and Others Star in My 11th Half Nekkid Post!
5:38 pm on July 3rd, 2008
Adam – I can’t give up my characters for you, but I love you the other 6 days of the week.
Blu – Thank you!
Susan – Go look at my ex. Trevor will come to you. HEH.
Vixen – I know the feeling about trying to put something into words, but then someone else does it for you. When I go to comment on blogs, half the time Avitable’s already said what I was thinking!
Hilly – I was a Whore for a reason. I gots to show my support and solidarity for ya. I know some of what you’re dealing with. I’m just making sure you know I’m here for you, and that I appreciate your friendship.
Livvy – I sometimes forget that you like my weird sense of humor. Thank you for reminding me!
Mary – I’m not as funny as you, but I think it’s because I have to try to be amusing. It’s not all that natural for me cause I’m shy.
Becky – I remember you telling me once that you wished you could come by more often, but that you read my blog just the same. You said that early on when I first found all of you and had barely been blogging. I have never forgotten that you said that. Which is why it beared repeating in my post.
Winters last blog post..Journeys
7:03 pm on July 3rd, 2008
I fully embrace the pudi-cake-a-cookie!
Dave2s last blog post..Money
7:28 pm on July 3rd, 2008
Dave – Me too! It must be the Official Dessert of the PRB! Obviously, it’s the chocolate pudding that makes it GOLD.
Winters last blog post..Journeys
11:43 pm on July 4th, 2008
Besides the fact I have that effing song from the Lion King in my head, I think this post hits alot of nails on its cumulative heads.
Oh, and for the record, I am the Non-commenting King of Feedreading.
Don’t let the imitators fool you.
NYCWDs last blog post..CookiePuss
11:50 pm on July 4th, 2008
Dawg – I am fully cognizant of the honor the King has bestowed upon me. Oh, and that song is death, isn’t it? Even at 19, the Lion King is still one of Motley’s favorite movies. It was her and her dad’s special movie.
Winters last blog post..Freedom
12:37 am on July 7th, 2008
I read always. Comment rarely. I suck.
jesters last blog post..The Website is Down
8:49 pm on July 8th, 2008
This was a great post! I loved this part :
Not everyone posts comments every day. Not everyone reads you every day. But every day is a journey and sometimes the road takes you places you haven’t been before.
One of the benefits to leaving your feed reader to actually go to a blog and comment is reading other peoples comments and finding new people to read and learn about!
bluepaintreds last blog post..Why Did the Dog Eat That if She Doesn’t Like Regurgitation?
10:16 pm on July 8th, 2008
Well done.
Jason Xs last blog post..Washing Hands at the Office
4:20 pm on August 6th, 2008
Oh! Ha! I’d already read this one!
Miss Britts last blog post..Would you like to be me for a day?