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Friday, September 30, 2005

Friends and Strangers

Blogging is such an interesting phenomenon. I forget I don't know the people who most often read my blog and whose blogs I most often read. This came full-force tonight when I was reading the comments left for me under "Pauline Trent and P.T. Shank." See, I realized that praise, support and congratulations from these people have meant more to me than some of the responses I've gotten from people who share my bloodline. Now, this is, partly, a statement about how fucked up my family has become. But it is also a statement on how important people can become to each other in unexpected ways. I mean, I got a comment from the Butler. One of my favorite bloggers left me a comment! How cool is that?

DonDon mentioned that he "almost know(s) someone soon to be famous" and that statement took me by surprise. Still, it's true. Because we don't know each other. And yet... "Not knowing" DonDon and the Butler and Jaded's Kimmy didn't keep me from being so worried about them when we thought Rita was going to be a bigger than Katrina had been. "Not knowing" the Gay Mad Housewife didn't make me any less happy when he was able to start leaving comments for people again, even just one-handed. "Not knowing" Blue Dog certainly hasn't kept me from checking her site to oooo and ahhh at her creations. And "not knowing" Cracker doesn't keep me from hoping she's okay because I haven't gotten a comment in a while.

Of course, there are the bloggers I do know. The Lovely Cats, Nemeria, FEAA, the One in VA, and appsrus. Their praise and support and congratulations light my world because they are my friends, my family...and yes, my fellow bloggers.

Perhaps it is because we are all writers and so the praise of other writers means more. But I think it has to do with this great community we have created for ourselves. We all have friends and loved ones that we recognize on the street, that have our home phone numbers and our "real" email addresses. Hell, that know our real names. Still, that doesn't make this place ~ this cyber lunch table, if I may borrow from Blogzie ~ any less important. Just makes it different. And since I love different, it really works for me ~ and makes me as proud to read those comments as if the people who left them actually knew my name and I knew theirs.

Those are Pobble Thoughts. That and a buck fifty will get you coffee.

5 comments:

Jaded said...

I know your name. You know mine.

I'm honored.

CrackerLilo said...

Hi, honey.

I've just been busy and achy. I was also reverting to my factory-installed mental wiring for a few days--clinical depression mixed with social anxiety. It doesn't make you feel friendly or considerate.

I'm so glad you didn't have that problem, though. Yours is the first Blogspot "friend" blog I read today, after Blogzie's! (Blogzie's is always first because everyone ends up there. :-)

I just wanted to tell you there was no reason to be concerned and no slight against you or anyone else. *hugs*

dondon009 said...

My friends and family read my blog.... for some strange reason, they never comment except in e-mail.... I can't really understand it. ON the other hand, it's wonderful how a small community of people who were recently complete strangers and remain somewhat anonymous continue to express a real concern for each another! I have to make certain the people on my blogmaster list are ok on an almost daily basis. If they aren't blogging, I worry; and I talk about them at work like I've known some for years. My peers are dumbfounded! They just don't understand.......

christine mtm said...

i had more blog-pals on my prayer list during the last few months than people whose faces i know.

cracker... i know the depression thing too. you're in my thoughts and prayers... and yes, we all end up at blogzie's place don't we? in fact i am going there now.

love you pobble!

Blue Dog Art said...

How sweet. I'm honored too. Thanks.