on blogging

As we begin the new year, I’ve been reflecting on my blogging experience.

Before I had coffee with my friend Lynn the last time, I emailed her that I was not much interested in spending a lot of time talking about work, but there were plenty of things I did want to talk about with her. My blog was one of them. When we met, she said, “So, you’re excited about your blog.” No, I’m not. My blog is important to me. I enjoy it. It is right now my primary avocation. But excited, no.

I can’t even tell you how long I’ve been blogging. I started at Blogger, then moved to Typepad, and am now here at WordPress, where I am quite happy. I know I was blogging when blogging was a Big Thing, before Facebook and Twitter became Big Things. There was a time when I wasn’t giving my blog a lot of attention, though today I make it a point publish five entries a week.

I write for myself, but like anyone I love comments and feedback. I have no control over reactions to my blog, but I do find it interesting that a blog entry that I labor over and to which I give careful consideration will receive no comments at all while a throwaway entry or one that simply reproduces a quote will receive multiple comments. There is no way to know in advance what will resonate with readers.

I once commented about the arrogance of expressing one’s views in such a public forum. My friend, the Boston Pobble, corrected me, saying that it’s only arrogant to expect people to actually read what you put out there. In that light, I am happy and grateful for my small group of regular readers.

To quote Linda Ellerbee, “And so it goes.” And so I blog on.