The blogosphere is the Internet's potential in full bloom. Back in pre-blog days (are you sick of me writing about 'back in the day' yet?), it seemed like everyone was vying for Web real estate, as if there wasn't enough to go around. So there was all this talk about collaboration and joining hands to sing kumbaya around the cyber-world, but behind all that was some really ugly back-stabbing going on. Now, the way blogging platforms work, if you don't cross-pollinate, you're doomed.
I get it. I'm just not very good at it.
I like to think it's because I'm too busy. But when I read or hear about other bloggers' daily lives, and I see how in-touch they seem to stay with so many other blogs... hm. Maybe it's me. And maybe it's more than just having too many plates to spin at one time.
Take birthdays, for example.
You know those (mostly) women who vigilantly maintain birthday calendars and then do something nice (and usually really unique and touching) for the Birthday Boy or Girl every single year? Even if they slip up and don't get the gifting done for a day or two, they do it, by golly.
I've never been that good of a friend.
My longest-time friends know that about me and are merciful. They shrug and laugh (and probably roll their eyes, but I don't know because I'm hardly ever around them physically) when I finally catch up weeks or months later with a feeble, "Sorry I forgot your birthday again!" I'm awful lucky to have such friends.
So it is with the whole blog-connecting thing for me. I may get on a roll now and then -- and I'm talking every few months, so make that a couple of times a year -- and find my eyeballs deluged with great blogs that strike chords with me. Here's how the rest of that occasional pattern goes: I feel an urge to share the blog with others, so my head starts racing around the various blogs where I write, trying to find the best fit for featuring this newly-found blog, while at the same time I'm checking out their blogrolls and thinking I should have one of those, and then I think about the time involved in creating a blogroll on top of writing a new post to introduce this great find on one of my blogs... and by then, I'm ready for a nap.
So, here's what I'm thinking (and it only took me til nearly 50 years old to figure this out): I talk too much. (Sorry, mom...)
One of the reasons that I value, and by that I mean crave, a devoted editor is because "wordy" is something I am and don't want to be. I'll never forget the time I spotted my supervisor's notes from her first interview with me, back when I was an over-zealous, over-educated, self-righteous college-student-social-worker-wanna-be: "verbose" was the word she used. Now that I'm a nap-inclined, under-educated, self-righteous middle-aged-writer, I really despise the sound of that word. More importantly, I now see the value in clamming up. Real value. I'm talking make-those-blog-wheels-spin-faster value.
From here on out, I'll be cross-linking more and spewing less. At least, that's my goal. It's worthy, right?
I think I'll try the same tactic with that whole Bad Friend problem of mine, too. Doesn't really matter if I have something to say -- so long as I just say hello.
First blog to get graced by my new aim to spread love like honey: Blue Jean Gourmet.
Compelling thing that first caught my eye: Nishta Mehra's Twitter bio -- "first-generation Indian foodie raised in the South; un-snobby, enthusiastic cook"
The thing that makes her feature-worthy here: This post -- Cupcakes With No Name -- not so much because of the cupcakes, because I'm not a cupcake fan, but I like her take on the stories we tell ourselves. Reminded me of this post by my former editor: telling stories and microwave bacon peach potato with a side of peach tomato olive blue salad
So. What's with the whole 'spreading love' thing, aside from realizing I need to send more around of what I want to come around online? You'll have to read about that on Trailer Park Karma where I yammer incessantly about the way I want to be when I grow up.
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