Friday, June 13, 2008

blogging circle

I was at the park last week sitting on the bench with another mom as we watched our kids run and climb around the place and I had this overwhelming desire to ask her if she blogged. That maybe somehow we had passed each other in the blogosphere, maybe clicking on someone's blogroll and ending up, if only briefly, at each other's website. And then we could say, oh yeah! You did look sort of familiar.

Is that odd? I never did ask her, although we struck up a very small conversation.

It's really possible she does have a blog. It's really possible she doesn't. And if she does blog, it's possible we blog in entirely different communities. I've noticed that there are certain pockets of bloggers. Some form a community based on similar interests and writing styles. Some of them are just a continuation of the circle of friends they already have and they all comment on each other's blogs instead of that extra telephone call. There are the super-bloggers that everybody seems to know. Although I've also noticed these super-bloggers usually operate in one community or another.

So I've been thinking: what blogging circle am I in? Am I in a circle? Maybe I just sort of float out there in cyberspace somewhere, picking up random readers here and there.

I have never really blogged in a "friend" circle. I mean, some of my friends know I blog, and some of my friends read my blog, and I suspect that through them, there I more people I know that read my blog, but I don't know that they read my blog. Got that? Yikes. As far as I know my neighbors don't know that I blog, and if they do, they haven't said anything. (Hello, neighbors! are you there?) Then there are the instances of people from my past making random appearances and that's always fun, and funny.

A lot of my comments come from people I do consider friends, though most of them I've never met in person. I kind of like that. I like that I started this little blog sans community and that somehow someone started reading my blog, and I started reading their blog and then we were friends. I like the acquaintances, the people who pop up occasionally and randomly with something nice and/or pertinent to say. I like that there are people all over the world who show up here from time to time.

If you do show up here, thanks. You might read my blog, and I might read your blog, and perhaps we've passed each other in the airport or the grocery story and didn't even know it! We might have said hello. So if some woman asks you one day in the park, "Do you blog?" it just might be me.

4 comments:

  1. I'm a very late bloomer in that I only started writing a blog and reading blogs a couple of weeks ago. I love clicking on links of people and then their links and randomly reading peoples blogs.
    I have also noticed communities, it is even better than people watching at the mall.
    I can't remember who I clicked, then clicked again to find you, but if our paths ever cross "hi".

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  2. I've wondered that myself. I don't know anyone personally that blogs. My fans consist of friends, family and the random people that come to visit because I comment on their blog.

    I have 12 subscribers! Whoo Hoo! LOL!

    I can't remember how I came upon your blog...but I'm so glad that I did!

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  3. It is interesting to me that just like in "real" life, blogging also develops circles and most often they are ones we find that we are comfortable in because the ideas seem like those we share. This is an interesting phenomenon. Does that limit my ability to be influenced by or influence others who are outside my bubble? It is something I am currently pondering and writing about myself.

    BTW, although I have been reading your posts at Just an Orange I think I just clued in that you were inviting us to read with you. I'd love to try this book and will pick it up this coming week.

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  4. I like this blog. I've missed reading your blog this past couple of weeks although I've thought about it. I finally had that little baby and after a week and 1/2 I'm feeling recovered enough to see what I've been missing. Of course my life hasn't quite found a routine with three kids that I'm particularly fond of yet. We've had way too much TV on for one thing, but it's nice to be back to blogging. I'm glad I stumbled across yours a few months ago. You seem to capture so much of my thoughts to which I just have to say - Ditto!

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