Ramblings from While You're Up -- One Year Old Today

Did you notice? Today is my Blogoversary. I have been doing this for 1 year today. I have gone from just two or three people reading my blog to maybe six or seven true followers and as many as thirty visitors who leave comments. Thank you all for thinking that I might have something worthwhile to say or share. I know I usually don't, but I enjoy just sharing my thoughts.

I have realized that blogging is more than just what I put in my blog. It is visiting others and commenting to them. I tend to blog more in comments to others than I do on my on site many times. As I visit the different meme that I enjoy I find the things posted by my fellow memers (is that a word?) very interesting and sometimes leave long comments about the topic -- much like a conversation. I hope that is alright with those who receive such dissertations.

I have made new friends. Cyber friends with faces that are pictures and whose voices are written words. But these are people whom I feel I know in a special way and treasure. There is a different mask that people wear when they are blogging than when they are visiting face to face. I'm aware of that mask, I wear one also. Some things are more guarded while other things are revealed quite easily.

The hardest part of blogging for me is to capture the emotion of the words. What could be a quick quip, a bit of sarcasm, or a joke might not always sound that way to the reader when there is no facial expression to go with it, no dropping of tone or voice to indicate that is an aside to be taken lightly. And because of that I worry at time that I might offend.

Yes, a year of blogging has taken me to new place. I now visit with people in Australia, Belgium, Canda, Africa, and I even have a friend in France who always replies in French. I don't claim to know these people well, but I enjoy them. What they share, the world they live in has enriched me.

I think this is a habit I'll continue with. Hopefully I'll continue to grow and learn. Hopefully I can get to know some of you better and maybe someday our paths will cross and we can share a beverage together (I was going to say a cup of coffee, but I don't drink coffee).