Casa Rosales

Casa Rosales

Thursday 2 December 2010

The small world of bloggers.

I am feeling so jolly pleased that I started a blog.  I began in April this year following the big decision to leave work early and 'retire' (such an inappropriate word for what I did) and for about a month, I didn't dare go public. I really wanted to write an online 'diary' designed for others to read - anywhere in the world - but when it came to it I was afraid of sharing it; it felt silly somehow to publish my thoughts; and worse - someone I KNEW might read it! Heavens, it was such a nervous moment when I eventually took the plunge and pressed the buttons to share. I think I only did it because a friend had done it as part of 40 things he wanted to do in his 40th year - and we're sort of kindred spirits (eh, Andy) so if he could, I could. And I did!

To start with, I only confessed to a few people and still felt rather embarrassed to think that someone was reading anything that I had written, despite loving the act and art of writing. I think part of the embarrassment is from having kept a diary from the age of 14 to 19 that was very personal and very confessional - I know I wouldn't have wanted anyone else to read any of that. 

But a blog isn't a diary - and that's something I have learned since starting. It's a wonderful communication tool - and it's not just one way. I am starting to get comments on my blogs, which is THE most exciting thing ever. And comments from people I don't even know! And there's a whole community of bloggers out there with similar interests to me, who write about the things and people that are important to them and with whom I feel I share a small part of their lives. And it's because they blog.

And since June, here on 'Blogger', it has been possible to track how many visits I've had and from which countries and it's fascinating! Why, I'm positively famous all over the United States as well as in the UK, Spain and Australia. And now I have had readers from Latvia, the Netherlands, Germany, Ireland, Denmark, Israel, Russia, Canada, Taiwan and China!! Wow - that's just amazing.

I love stats! I really do - my job prior to my 'retirement' (that word again) was in management information and statistics and I do enjoy poring over the details of my visitors. But I am not an inhuman 'numbers' person - oh no, I like to get to know my numbers personally!  When I worked in a hospital doing various statistical returns such as counting all the different procedures that patients underwent, I noticed one poor man - a heart patient - had gone through more procedures than anyone else and was still on the ward. So I went to visit him. Bless, he was half blind, totally deaf and very, very poorly. He had no clue who I was or why I was there and I couldn't really explain, so I just held his hand for a while and then left again. And when I worked in Education, analysing the results of examinations, I can still remember names and results of individuals (though I confess, only those who did extremely well or those who really did not.)

And whilst I don't know all of my visitors, if you've left me a comment, I will check out your website or find out as much as I can about you. And if you blog, I will follow you (if I like the look of what you write, of course) and then, by looking on my little map, I might be able to imagine when you visited and read my blog. And it makes everyone seem so much closer somehow.

THANKS FOR READING!

3 comments:

  1. I love your happiness in all of this bloggness. Comments are amazing. I waited years to get one. And stats, which I have recently discovered, are fascinating... sometimes humbling, always interesting.
    I have been at this for a while now, and I still can't escape that embarrassed-exposed feeling when someone I know finds out I am *out there!*
    I would like you to know that I mean to catch up with more of your posts... and because I enjoy your blog so much, I mean to do this when I have calm, quiet time. Oh, dear... perhaps I should not wait THAT long!
    So happy you blog, so happy to have found your blog. Thank you for sharing!

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  2. I believe that personal touch - for example: remembering that numbers are people - ensures that you will meet many good people who will touch you and leave a bit of themselves. I can only think that is a good thing.

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  3. I'm glad we took the plunge at a similar time. I think it has helped, because I still have a fair bit of that "oh blimey" feeling before I hit the publish button even now. It's much less than it was and it certainly was nerve-janglingly terrifying for the first couple, but I too am pleased I did it. Having been through that "but they might read it" discomfort a few times, particularly about stuff that I would never normally discuss, I do so happily now for a couple of reasons: 1) I do it for me, because I enjoy thinking through what I really want to say about the things I care about, and 2) I think it probably helps me to come across as a little more human than my working roles sometimes do. I hope that makes sense.

    I enjoy the things you share and the insights into your life about many things that I obviously never learned during the 8 years we worked in the same organisation. Clearly you have 'moved on' and it is great to see the events unfold, even the little things that strike you and you discuss.

    In short, your blog is lovely (in a nice and warm rather than patronising sense!) and I am really pleased for you that it is turning out well. The breadth of your readership is excellent :-) Keep it up.

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I welcome your comments - it makes blogging even more fun to know someone is reading!