Observing my one-year blogging experience

About a year and half ago a friend told me he had started a blog and invited me to stop over. So I did the polite thing and visited. I even left my first blog comment ever (as plain Athena, Flubberwinkle hadn't been born yet). I liked the interface and how easy it was for my non-computer oriented friend to get online and "just do it". Then I started following his "blog-roll" on the side and my jaw dropped wide open...

The randomness of subjects, the baring of souls, a myriad of different thoughts and unlike approaches on dis/similar matters. I was in awe. And I was ashamed. Where was I when all this was going on? Why hadn't I been paying closer attention to this wonderful evolution on the web? A new medium where everyone is equal. Equal access to FREE blogging software and a personal FREE cyber soapbox, where anyone can write as long or as short or as misspelled as they please with essentially no limits or restrictions on subject matter.

I liked reading and commenting on other people's blogs but felt like a lurking outsider in my non-blogger status. I wanted in. The astounding magnitude of the blogging community, however, was daunting and adding another blog to the heap made me have doubts as to whether I should actually partake.

Then it dawned on me that the resplendency of blogging is exactly that: Adding YOUR voice, your own, unique voice to the pile. Keeping this rule of thumb in mind, united with the memory of how much I liked writing, my blog pseudonym came to life.

One morning, soon after I started this blog, I sat staring at the screen in disbelief. Someone (thank you Windfall Woman) had actually stopped by and read my post and left the first comment. Funnily, I had the following schizophrenic reaction: "Oh, goodie, someone read it"! and at the same time, "Oh, shit, someone read it".

Still shaking my head in amazement that someone had dropped off cyber-highway onto my piffling web-nook and, moreover, had bothered to take the time to comment I became alarmed. People drop in to r-e-a-d your posts. Oh-oh, *big gulp*.

Should I write often? How often is often? What if I don't have ANY ideas? What would BE a good idea? What if people DON'T like what I write? What if they DO? What if the publicity goes to my HEAD? What should I WEAR to the Oscars after my blog turns into a award-winning novel and then a smash-hit movie?

SLAP. Reality check.

I started this blog as a creative outlet, mainly about turning mundane things in my life into short,short stories aka "flubberwinklisms". I'm neither reporting news from Greece nor aiming to target any particular subject. Just a humble citizen of both virtual and non-virtual worlds, writing in my voice, being honest, aspiring to make at least one person come away from these web pages with a nice, warm, fuzzy feeling.

In any case, even if people storm out of my blog because of its sheer inutility, I've made my uselessness known to the Internet and that's gotta count for something on Blog Judgement Day. Maybe C+ for my effort?

I've noticed, throughout the blogosphere, that some blogs don't handle online rejection very well, some build their hopes too high or keep doubting their quality. I've seen blogs suddenly stop or switch to 'comments off' option. I've come across several "good-bye cruel blogosphere" blogicide notes, which lead me to assume that most bloggers go through a recurring "what-the-hell-was-I-thinking?" phase after our initial blog enthusiasm settles down or blogger's block ensues. I've witnessed humble blogs grow up and become their-own-domain-name dot coms with incredible readership.

The best part of blogging is that if someone doesn't like your writings or if you don't like theirs, then you just move on to another blog. As simple and as democratic as that. No one is forcing anyone to read another's blog.

Anyway you see it, blogging is awesome. And because it's a relatively new way of communicating, continuously evolving yet always a novelty, we're all trying to find our bearings.

Those who do (re)visit and take the time to read me, I thank you for indulging me and helping me overcome my fear of "talking in public".

And to all the steady and random blogs I visit, comment, stalk I want to thank you for sharing your feelings, experiences, photos, beliefs.

I feel like we're all sharing a spot of tea (or a mug of coffee) in a global cafe and I look forward to reading what's been on your mind.

I have learned much and constantly reminded how small this planet is and how alike, yet singularly different, we all are.

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