There are many blogging rules that I’ve broken over the years. I’ve done so on purpose. As a test. Lately, I’ve put a serious lid on the words I write and share. I’m afraid of what might happen if I let some of them out. So I wait.
Wait?
Why in the world would I do that?
It’s because they’re messy thoughts.
With all the division in the world right now, I don’t want to create more of it. I choose to stand with you by keeping many of my bizarre thoughts to myself.
Thoughts come to me as I settle on something somewhere in the middle. I just know somewhere in the middle is where we can be together as we share small moments each week.
There’s where we find compassion for each other. We can coexist without hurting anyone. We can support each other and not tear each other down.
I pop in and out of here with small glimpses of my world. I sometimes see quite odd things.
The way for me to fly higher in my blogging efforts is to take risks and take flight off the perch I sit upon each week. But that’s scary. I open up the lid on my thoughts and stream them cautiously. In the hopes to nail another post, while knowing it’s never a guarantee that my efforts will pay off. After all, I’m not a bird that knows how to fly. And neither are you. We’re humans that weed out the things we don’t care to read about. Lately, we have little tolerance for the things that piss us off or are of no interest. It’s easy to become part of the no-read list.
There’s a dialogue in my mind with a sort of ideal reader who would deeply respond to everything I express, but it is much more intelligent and demanding than I am.
Deborah Eisenberg
And just when I felt defeated, I noticed something. I had made my way to two new milestones in my blogging career. Back when I was working through the emotions of a future goodbye to Copper, that was the day I reached 1000 followers. He was so proud of me. Every day I wrote while he was there watching me write. I know he knew I was embarking on a journey through so much sadness when I’d have to go on with life without him.
But 1000 followers meant I wouldn’t be alone, right? Numbers don’t lie, or do they? We all know data can be deceiving.
The second milestone happened yesterday. But, just as I got a boost of encouragement from WP, on the same day I lost a favorite follower. On milestone days, I check my stats for giggles and sniffles and noticed the followers’ number had gone down. Emotions and followers go up and down in blogging, that’s for darn sure.
I’ve lost many friends along the way. I’ve written good posts and gained. And I’ve constructed poorly written posts and lost some. So I get it. Life’s too short to waste time.
I’ve drafted some posts that thankfully will never see the light of day. And I’ve archived some after being a big bomb. I’m kind of a one-hit-wonder back in a post from 2018. Subsequently, I know that I will gain and lose followers. This past year, I even lost a few followers that meant a lot to me. And I wonder how they are doing?
As part of the recent testing of my blogging processes, I’ve noticed things that I need to evaluate further. The part of blogging that I’m convinced I’ll never get used to is the loss of friendships. I’m guilty of ditching favorite blogs too. I hope those who left know my memories of their kind support over the years will always be etched delicately upon my heart. Blogging relationships are fragile and strong at the same time. I’ve been a drifter more than I care to admit to.
Those of you who still visit here, I do enjoy how your comments sprinkle sprouts of ideas that inspire me to keep on trying.
Thank you for encouraging me through phases of growth and subtle demises of my blogging efforts. Even on those days when all I’ve wanted to do is give up, you’ve encouraged me. I’m truly thankful for your focus on the little details that make a difference in life.
In the beauty of the world, I’m like a little bug that nudges us along, hidden in my thoughts and prayers for all of us. I hang out here in the blogosphere just long enough to notice things that I love to share with you.
I know there are many blogs in the blogosphere to choose from for your reading enjoyment. For some reason, you chose to stop here. Thank you, you’re a blessing, please don’t ever forget it.
Every post I write I face a fight with my old worn-out thoughts. Can I find something new to write about? I fight off being too passionate. And I fight to find ways to be compassionate. I know some of my thoughts are better kept unplugged. And tossed out with the floor washing water.
I put a lid on those thoughts. Somebody has to supervise my efforts. If not me, then who?
I do my best to let those messy thoughts go while I polish the others and make them shine instead.
I’ve learned in my 5 years of blogging that it takes great efforts to keep going. Efforts remain easiest when I pop open the lid on the messy thoughts. I let the old thoughts peacefully retire as they float off into the world. Meanwhile, I take a chance to embrace the new thoughts I’ve chosen to nurture and grow.
Surprise – it often works. If I ramble long enough, my old and new thoughts might just exist on the same stem of the stream of consciousness. . .
Post Inspiration – Linda G. Hill’s Stream of Consciousness Saturday Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “lid.” Use it in the literal sense, use it in the metaphorical sense, use it any way you’d like. Have fun!
PS – Enjoy the week and any surprises that come your way. Thanks for stopping by!
It is great that you have a gatekeeper like Tizzie, and what a view from the tabletop chairs. I enjoyed your post and I certainly understand. Today is a new chapter in your ongoing story. Enjoy as you write it.
Yes, Rollin, Tizzie is a grand gatekeeper. The higher up she is the more regal she feels. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts. I like the way you put it – a new chapter to enjoy. Enjoy your writing too!
Tizzie is so cut getting her great view from on high! It really is hard some days to come up with content for your blog, even if it’s a photoblog like mine. I have so many things I want to talk about but usually don’t publish them because it may offend some of the very few followers I have.
You do a wonderful job with your blog, Shelley. I’ve been following your blog for what seems a few years now and always look forward to your photos and thoughts. I wonder why a long-time follower would suddenly vanish though? Have a great Sunday.❤️
Oh, yes, Tizzie loves to get a great viewing spot. She jumps up on the chair as soon as I pick it up off of the floor. She likes to be on top of cupboards too. She keeps me in the cleaning business.
I’m like you – so many things I want to talk about but don’t. Instead I discuss with myself in the middle of the night 🤣😂🤣
Thank you for all your comments over the years, John, they are very much appreciated! I do wonder why and I understand that interests change over the years.
I hope you’re having a great Sunday too. It’s Vegas hot here today – very strange weather for us. Going to spend time in it ‘cuz I know the colder weather is soon to arrive! Stay cool!
It’s funny, I have no idea who follows my blog (other than regular commenters) and who decides to leave. I’m not even sure where WP stores that information and have little interest in finding out. I value those who read, and especially those who take the time to comment. Every once in a while, I go through the list of the blogs I follow and delete some of them – either because the subject matter doesn’t interest me anymore or they don’t engage (which, to me, is the fun of blogging). I also try to avoid hot-button subjects; there is plenty to read about those things elsewhere if one desires to.
I love that face in your fence… it looks like he (I thinks it’s a “he”) is trying to smell that spent flower.
I have always appreciated your approach to blogging. And I definitely appreciate your words of wisdom. I haven’t made it to the list of blogs I follow to remove any. I like to think I’m supporting them still in a some small numbers kind of way.
Thanks – I love that “he” face too. I didn’t see it until I was reviewing the photos. I thought he looked kind of like he was blowing a wish on the expired flower and it made the new sprout grow? My mind wanders when I look at my photos! 🤣😂🤣
Some really good pictures here, Shelley. I rarely look at my stats because I don’t blog consistently enough. I just appreciate when people stop by to say hello when I do. Happy Sunday.
Thank you, Janet. I remain impressed that you blog and that you keep your Etsy business running. Have you been able to do more craft fairs? Yay for your baseball team too, it’s great to see you out there smiling and having fun!
Hmmm. I have no idea how many people are followers, I’m sure not a 10000! And I don’t know who they are, other than the people that comment from time to time. And sometimes I get them mixed up too. I also struggle with writing about my true feelings on some topics, afraid to loose some people that I now consider friends. I’ve been blogging since 2006 (I think) and a few commenters have been here close to the beginning. Though I got more people following when I added pictures. Sometimes I think the pictures are a cruth, and my writing was better before images. Anyway, I get what you’re saying.
I need to make it my goal to never look at stats again. I was obsessed with figuring it all out when I first started. Silly me! That’s great that you admit when you mix people up. I’ve done that before too.
I do think people enjoy photos – your photos are exceptional, I can see why you get followers. I’ve always used photos to go with my words, for me it breaks up my ramblings!! LOL.
Thank you for sharing and for ‘getting’ what I’m saying. Thanks too for hanging out in the blogosphere with us all. You’re a joy to know!
Since WordPress has randomly been dropping people who follow me without their permission, I try not to pay too much attention. Perhaps some that you’ve “lost” have been tossed by the gremlin the Happiness Engineers are looking for.
I don’t play favorites when I post, but I stay away from the modern third-rail topics. Although politics and religion were third-rail topics as early as 1840, so it’s not just us. I’m not afraid of losing followers, but those deep passionate discussions don’t seem to happen anymore. Fuses seem too short for that, and no one seems to be open to having their opinions changed by other opinions – or facts and logic in some cases.
Fortunately, my mind wanders into lots of obscure areas.
For the record, I am still following you.
Really, leave it to WP to pull something like that?! Those HE’s strike again! 🙁
You’ve been wise in your posts – you give little hints of your thoughts that may stir the pot, but you play the lines so well I think you’re brilliant how you navigate the blogging world!
You’re right, the fuses seem quite short nowadays.
Ah, yes, a wandering of sorts seems to be a nice route to take.
For the record, I’m still following you too – I’ve learned so much from you and the editor over the years – I’m eternally grateful! Thank you, Dan!!
I have a lot of posts that never made it to having the publish button being pressed. Some because something happened the day or the day before I had the post scheduled. Sometimes, blogging isn’t as easy as it should be,
If I’ve helped you in any way, I’m glad. That’s about the best thing we can do,
I agree – sometimes blogging isn’t as easy as it should be. Or as easy as WP claims it is supposed to be.
Yes, most definitely you’ve helped me and many other bloggers! Thank you!!!
Glad to be a sprout Shelley. This morning going through my “fan mail” I have a new follower and was amazed to see that the number of followers is now 1,802. So many of those are corporates or website sellers or self confessed gurus with words of wisdom. Only around 50 are true people who interact regularly.
Do what you want and when and let the feelings out but sometimes it’s more than a feeling, it’s you and us. 🤗💕
Aw, Brian, I’m mighty thankful you remain a sprout here with me in the blogosphere. LOL – fan mail! You have a fun true following of people, we enjoy commenting on your photos and the music you share. I’m impressed how you keep up with all of it.
Aw, I try to be braver sometimes. I know if I’m feeling something, others are too. I appreciate the us factor, thank you for being here!! 🤗💖🥰
👍🤗💕
PS I am doing my fan mail now 😁
I hope I didn’t end up in your spam folder!
No you didn’t I am behind in my blog stuff
No worries, I know exactly how that feels! 💕😉😊
I’ve always wanted to have a blog but it takes more time and commitment than I can spare at this point in my life. I think that’s why I enjoy your blog so much. You aren’t doing it to gain followers or rake in money from ads. It’s just you and your thoughts and your photos when time permits you to share.
Maybe one day I’ll have spare time to have a blog myself. Until then I’ll keep stopping by for some photos and your posts.
I’m thankful you find time to share it with me. You’re right, blogging takes a commitment and if you don’t have extra time, it makes it extra challenging to keep up with it. The personal joy of just writing what is on my mind and sharing my photos will remain the focus of this blog. Thanks for confirming that not all efforts are lost into cyberspace 🙂
PS – I always appreciate your kind words of encouragement, thank you for being here!
I know what you mean about the stream of consciousness risk. Although, over the last few months I’ve had a hard time writing anything of merit. All that’s happened over the last year and a half has just sapped my bandwidth so to speak. Plus since December, I’ve been running a condo board which is stressful enough without everything else in life. I hope to get back the spark at some point. Meanwhile I also wonder about the bloggers who I used to see all the time totally drop out of sight. No more blog! I can’t help but wonder what happened to them. The world has just shifted for so many of us. Good to “see” you and your photos are lovely as always. The chair and mop image almost wants to tell its own story. Tizzi looks lost in thought. 🙂
I remember you and I both saying back in a blog comment, “So much of this just doesn’t make sense.” We’ve both had much happen in our lives that have made our emotions go up and down and all scattered. I like how you described it as sapped bandwidth.
More power to you to run a condo board too. That would take my bandwidth out.
I wonder about those bloggers too – I empathize with the desire to just disappear. But then I show up again, to try one more time. The world has shifted, is still shifting, and we’re here to see it unfolding. Like Tizzie, we’re lost in thoughts and catnaps. Except it doesn’t always look like a life of luxury 😉
Thanks for being here, Andrea – I so enjoy your comments and your blog! Hang in there – one day we’ll be documenting in our blogs, ‘remember when we said this?!’
I remember that too. Still not making sense. Yeah, I guess we keep on trying to hang in there. Must be our persevering personalities…or something! 🙂
I must admit though, some days disappearing appeals to me! Thank you for being here too, Shelley.
Not making sense is an understatement for me most days. I, too, often think disappearing sounds good. Thanks for persevering – we will make it through the insanity!
Oh, I hope so. Some days I wonder.
There are head scratching moments, that’s for sure!
Well happy fifth blogging anniversary Shelley. Do not let your stats get you down – I, too, have lost followers along the way – I wonder … too many squirrels stories, not enough squirrels stories, too long posts? Who knows, but it is what is is. There are a few people who have disappeared on blogging breaks this Summer. They said it was brief, but they’ve not returned yet. I think it is hard to get back in the groove again if you are on hiatus … I know it would be that way for me. I’m lucky that I don’t have to come up with a new post about a different topic as my niche is walking. I’m not sure I could regularly post if I had to do a post based on the world as the world and its people baffle me a lot these days. Shoot for another five years and beyond.
Thank you, Linda! I appreciate your words of wisdom, support, and encouragement.
Blogging is what it is, and I do need to keep that in mind.
I can see the challenge of getting back into the groove. I could never go back to daily posting, but, oddly enough, writing was easier when I did it daily. Now it takes me forever to complete a post!
I’ll likely be around for more years, I think I’ve finally figured out how to auto renew everything so I don’t inadvertently shut the blog down. LOL!
Thank you for sharing your walks with us and your photos. Your blog gives us all a place to discover the valuable lessons that animals teach us. And you challenge us to keep on getting exercise. Win-wins!
Well I would think all your posts, especially the stream-of-consciousness posts, would come easy to you, so you fooled me. 🙂 Yes, don’t let it shut down by accident. I would hope WordPress would give you a couple of “last call” warnings at least. Thank you for your comments Shelley and I wonder if I had not discovered Council Point Park and other larger parks and starting photographing nature as opposed to street photography, if I’d been able to sustain my blog … there is only so much to see and do in the ‘hood. 🙂
Thank you for your encouragement, Linda. This year has been the hardest for me to find things to write about. I’m sure WP does give warnings. Last year when I missed them, I learned my lesson and set up everything as auto renew.
I think you found your niche – your walking adventures and the critters you encounter are delightful stories for us to read! Plus the areas you go to are safer than the hood. I wouldn’t want to go there either.
Shelley – interestingly, I’ve noticed several other bloggers, who don’t have a specific niche, have not been writing as much this year either. The reason for a blogging break may be everything surrounding us these days is racially/politically/gender oriented, that there is seldom anything good to hear or see and COVID has upsided us and created unrest to the nth degree. I am glad I can find cheer in my walks and critter encounters … in fact, I had some fun with the critters and my camera today and sorted out photos in between painting outside (finally a non-rainy, non-humid day and following day to do so) to use next week and for Halloween. I am behind generating posts from other Summer walks I’ve taken since I’ve gone to less posts per week. The metropolitan Detroit area is rife with senseless crime and road rage and random freeway shootings that often result in death to innocent people. It would be hard to come up with something each week to write about if I did not write about walking.
You’re very astute Linda, nice summary of thoughts. I’m so glad you find cheer in your walks and that you’ve found safe places to walk. Yay for getting your painting project done too. You’re inspiring me to get something done!!
Thank you Shelley. I just got that painting project done in the nick of time it seems … next time I won’t say “oh, I’ll have plenty of time to do it all Fall.” Who knew we’d have all the rain/heat/humidity in the Fall?
You’re welcome. We did much the same this year. We have a few projects that didn’t get done because of the weather. Let’s both pray for a better weather year next year!
I sure hope so Shelley.
I am also a drifter! Been so swamped I haven’t been able to blog at all, really. My more tech savvy guy is very concerned I’m going to lose followers. Really, I hardly ever cull my list though, so somehow I doubt it. I did have a blogger friend reach out my email yesterday to make sure I’m OK, so I guess I better post soon! Hope you’re well. Love the flower pics and that precious little blue bird!
I love that you’re a fellow drifter. You have been very busy, plus you have a new dog, and kids in school, and you’re writing and gathering with other writers – all of those efforts will no doubt keep your blog alive. I need to drop by there to see what you’ve written lately. My drifting has drifted way off path lately. That’s so kind of a blogger to check in on you.
I hope you’re well too – thanks for stopping by, I adore hearing from you!
Hello there. I started my blog in 2015. Overall I’ve found writing to be a good experience. It gets the ol’ mind working and helps me figure out what my opinions and beliefs actually are. Maybe you feel the same. See ya. Neil S.
Hello there to you too! I enjoyed reading your post. You definitely have gotten into the groove that works for you. Your words are engaging and enjoyable and the comments are fun to read! Congratulations. I do agree with your take on blogging. Thanks for stopping by, I hope our writing paths cross again soon!