The Wonderful World of Words

Although my own blog posts have become fewer and farther between, I have made it a point to keep up with the writings of the other bloggers I’ve chosen to follow based on having read a sample of their writing. Although we all have our each unique style of writing and amazingly wide and diverse myriad of topics we choose to write about, our blogs allow us to share a little bit of ourselves to the outside world, and I’m guessing that, for most of us, there are far more strangers reading what we write than people we know. But, to be honest, strangers isn’t a fair word. When someone invites you into their world, their thoughts, their heart, they are no longer strangers to us. We may not know much about them, have never met them face-to-face (and probably never will), but there is an acceptance that blog posts are genuine and truthful. We get to experience others’ joys and sorrows, others’ trials and triumphs, others’ opinions and why they believe what they do, and in this world of blogging, we accept them with grace even when we disagree or don’t understand.

The age of the bloggers I follow is across the spectrum. The youngest, as far as I know, is 16 (with the maturity of an ‘old soul’) and the oldest is, I believe, a little bit older than I am. Some are amazing storytellers and everything they write is worth reading simply to enjoy the way the story unfolds. Some writers just share little tidbits of their day and some write from the innermost depths of their soul. Some, like me, are all over the place, simply writing whatever is in the forefront of our thoughts as we sit down to the keyboard. Some follow a distinct form of writing, such as poetry. Many have niches that they stick to, and just as many do not. I think that variety is what makes it so enjoyable to read other people’s blogs!

I suspect that, for many of us, we are introduced to other bloggers by having left a comment on a blog post those people often read. Whenever we make a comment on another blog, an email is sent if anyone ‘likes’ the comment, whether it’s the blogger or another guest reader of the blog. When a person likes my comment, the email I get tells me if that person is also a blogger and gives me a sample of his/her posts with links. I always check those out! Reading those samples allows me to make a decision about whether or not I want to read more, and the option to follow that blog if I do, so I get alerts when that person has written a new post.

More and more, I’m finding myself leaving a comment on a blog I’ve enjoyed and/or has shared an insight I’m either quite familiar with or one that makes me furrow my eyebrows and ponder a different or more expansive way of looking at and learning something. I don’t get a lot of comments on mine, and I can count on one hand who the people are who might make a comment after reading it. I admit, sometimes my paranoia takes hold and I wonder why what I’m writing isn’t worthy enough to attract more comments. I often have to remind myself that I’m not blogging to attract or appease others, but to release tads and tidbits of my inner self that I tend to keep buried (for many multiple reasons). If I’m lucky enough to make a reader feel validated or to cause a furrowed eyebrow, that is what matters and what my life purpose is. For as long as I can remember, my chosen life legacy has been to touch other peoples’ lives in a positive way and leave an impact that will be carried forward. And whenever I get to feeling that I’m not getting enough attention for that, I remind myself of my dear friend, Prin, who does so much for so many good causes and probably, more often than not, doesn’t get many, if any, accolades for those things she does. That helps me keep myself in check.

If you are reading this, and want to read more blogs, let me know and I’ll be glad to share the links to the ones I loyally follow. Honestly, if you are reading this, I am humbled and honored that you are taking the time to do so. And I thank you!