A to Z reflections

Who knew there were so many gerbil blogs? Or born again Christian blogs? Ok, so I knew there were lots of the latter (day saints) but I didn't realize so many blogs were completely devoted to God and furry rodents. Not that they have anything in common – I'm sure God doesn't spend his days eating rabbit pellets and running on a wheel – what? You think I'm a complete heathen? Sheesh.

My point is I was bowled over by how many special interest blogs there are in the world: God, gerbils, guinea pigs, diseases, art, writing (yes, writing is a disease). You name it and I found it in my quest to visit as many A to Z Challenge blogs as possible during the month of April. When the dust settled there was 1,719 blogs taking part in the challenge and despite a serious attempt to get around and say howdy, I only managed to visit 410. "Only."

There were some people who ploughed through a lot more. I don't know where they found the time or the stamina. Alex J. Cavanaugh, the dearly beloved Alex J. Cavanaugh, was EVERYWHERE. He was so busy spreading love dust through the blogosphere that I swear that man was hopped up on bennies and espresso.  Either that or he's a zombie or a vampire or some other critter that never needs sleep. (Gerbils don't sleep much... not that I'm saying Alex is a gerbil, but seriously, have you ever seen a close-up photo of his whiskers face? Or his paws hands?)

While the gerbil blogs weren't MY cup of tea, I'm sure gerbil lovers were delighted to find those blogs during the challenge. That's what it's all about, isn't it? Find other bloggers who ARE your cup of tea. People who write like you do, who think like you do – or even if they aren't anything at all like you, they're funny enough, or they're wise enough, or whatever enough to make you want to pull up a chair and stay for a prolonged visit. I found many, many bloggers just like this. I wanted to say, "Where have you been all my life?" but I thought they might have me arrested. Still, I'm a happy new stalker for many of them. That's the best part of A to Z – meeting new people. Socializing like a big old butterfly.

If I liked a blog at all, I gave them a follow. First off, following is the only way I'll find them again. And hey, everyone likes getting new followers – it doesn't cost me a darn thing to give someone a new follow so why wouldn't I do it? I was absolutely thrilled by how my own followers increased during the challenge. I went from 260-something to 398. In the last week my followers crested the 400 mark. Don't think for a delirious moment that I wasn't dancing around the kitchen! It wasn't long ago that I started a blog late one night, thinking that no one else was reading my pathetic bleatings. Then one magical day I got a comment – I just about fell over with joy! Then I got a FOLLOWER! Wooooooot!!! I appreciate each and every person who takes their precious time to read my drivel and to comment on it. (Hugs to you all.)

One of the things I did find difficult was visiting all my "regular" favourites during the challenge. I simply didn't have enough time in the day to get around to see everybody and I apologize to my blogging friends for being absent during April.

Overall, I think the challenge has made me a better blogger. There's more to blogging than just writing a post and waiting to see who reads it. Yes, you have to strive to produce creative, interesting posts but you should also:

1. Respond to people's comments. If they can take time to comment on your blog, you should acknowledge them.

2. Read and comment on their blogs. Follow them, if you aren't already.

3. Support other bloggers any way you can. If I find something I love, I'll mention it on Facebook. Why not spread some joy?

I mean, really, why not?

:)

A to Z Honesty - N is for Ass

I am such an ass sometimes. OK, since this is an honesty thing, I'm an ass a LOT of times. But yesterday I was particularly assy.

There are 1,735 blogs signed up for this A to Z Blogging Challenge. That's crazy good, yes? But deciding to visit as many of those blogs as possible in just one month? Why that's CRAZY. Still, I've been trying. When someone throws a gauntlet at me and whacks me in the face with it, I pick it up and whack 'em back. The rest of my life is lived as a lazy slug but at gauntlet throwing I am an Olympian. (What the feck is a gauntlet anyway?)

So yesterday I was A to Z-ing at a rapid rate because it was the first day I'd had in ages to spend some quality time with my gauntlet, and after a couple hours of visiting other people's blogs and trying to make quasi-intelligent comments, I came across Graphophobia, the earnest blog of a timid writer named Kevin B. Hiatt whose post about goals struck me as inspirational. Thus I was blatting in his comment box with my usual peppiness, writing this:

I need to do ALL of those things. Except the video games, because I never play them anyway, but I need to get BACK to my diet and BACK to exercising and BACK to writing.

And then, because I was all hepped up on peppiness, enthusiasm and stupidity, I finished the comment with this:

You go, girl! Thanks for the inspiration!!!!!

In case you're wondering, Kevin is not a girl. My apologies to you, Kevin. As I've said, I am an ASS. I should just go to other people's blogs and write "ASS was here."

Speaking of A to Z, I have a couple observations to make.

1. I had no idea there were so many blogs out there completely dedicated to rodents. Gerbil blogs. Guinea pig blogs. Hamster blogs. What the feck, people? Entire blogs about a being that only lives for two years and spends that entire time scurrying around wheels, eating freeze dried grass pellets, pooping and biting the fingers of small children? My own blog is so much better - writing about asses. (I hear ya.)

2. When you follow a gerbil blog? The gerbil blog does not follow you back. Maybe it's because it's in its cage. Or one of those plastic balls. Hard to hit the follow button, also, when your arm is a quarter of an inch long. Or maybe gerbils are just snooty. Or they don't want to read about asses.