Dodging Blogging-Comment Bullets

I read three blogs everyday and I warn you that the world of weblogs is getting violent. A few of the more interesting posts have caused such furious hate mail to the author that they had to turn off comments. While I don't believe the bloggers should have their lives threatened, I don't think you should do this so that people say you're wonderful and amazing. And that leads me to think really about why I blog. And why I hope you come back. And why I hope you comment.

One of my best friends doesn't enjoy my site at all. She said, "I don't get it. It's like a diary or a journal, but you want me to read it? A journal is private. Why do you write this?"

I understand her view of this. And her not appreciating my desire to share some of my thoughts with you is no different than how she feels about my big blabbing mouth on a daily basis. "Wah, wah, wah," I can see her eyes glaze over sometimes as I tell a story. I know this is what she hears. "Wah, wah, wah, ME, wah wah wha-wha, ME."

I get a letter every Christmas from my dearest, oldest friend, and it is a cherished and anticipated annual newsletter. Her writing informs us of what has happened during the year, how her kids have grown, where she is living. Yes, yes, as I talk to her everyday I already know these events, but I love seeing it on green paper, Times Roman font, poinsettias in the margin. This is the WASP-iest, most eggnog-like thing I receive every December, and it is incredibly fun to read. For a moment, through her eyes, I use "summer" as a verb, and step into her life with a Cigar-King father who actually drove her around visiting colleges when she was 17. My blog is in the less-subtle, daily Jewish version. (And it works best for me because I have not figured out how to send an email to more than one group at a time! ) I love getting comments because that makes the page live (short i pronunciation). You do not have to agree with me or compliment me; I prefer that in-person, regarding my shoes.

I notice that of the blogs I frequent, most do not appreciate it when the reader leaves a comment that is not referencing how wonderful the author is. Then, he/she will write a post on the topic of how much the ugly comments have hurt her, and that if you have a differing opinion you just don't have to read my blog. Then, the loyalist-readers will comment to ignore all those a-holes, they don't matter, you ROCK. And lastly, the author writes yet another post telling her legion of loyalists to please stop slamming the mean commenters, there's room on the web for everybody. (But thank you, faithful and loving readers for all the kind words....you make me want to carry on.) For a final step, the blog author will implore all the fighting to stop, and links you to a site that either a) praises his/her writing or b) insults the offenders more, all the while innocently protesting she wants all this to stop, stop, stop.

Blecchhhh. That gets as boring as if I started droning on and on about how Jake got into the Gifted Program (so didn't), and that Olivia just rolls and rolls and is starting to crawl (not). Much, much better is to just be honest with you all and tell how actually, thank-God-the-baby-spoons-I-buy-have-a-color-sensor-to-detect-
heat-because-yesterday-I-microwaved-her-oatmeal-to-a-soothing-
magma-like-temperature.

So, my dear friend Donna, though you would much prefer something else, this blog is a little gift to you and everyone else I hold dear. It is the direct result of waking up at 3:00 a.m., wanting to tell you about something cooking in my brain and it's go post this or actually call you. So feel free to comment, to disagree, to understand or not why I do this wierd thing...it's okay. The reason I do this is to hopefully make you smile and feel that same wonderful feeling I get every time I get an email from all of you. And I do it because I am waaaayyyy too lazy to make those awesome baby books people have, and I figure I can just print these off and one day hand them to my kids.

(Note: Clearly however, the reason Walter blogs is that he wants you to see how clever his writing is, and that he so could have done this for a living if he hadn't so altruistically decided to save the world, one elementary student at a time!)