Saturday, February 03, 2007

Hi, I'm Leigh...

(Hi, Leigh!)

...and I've been attached to the blogosphere for six months now. I'm looking for ways to detach myself.

-So, Leigh, how did this begin?

All I wanted to do was to blog about New Orleans for my friends back in New York. After eight months of quietly going about my business and posting about my family, about this city's damages, both physical and emotional, and about other stuff that just happens, I found my hands itching to try something else, to break out of my teensy digital corner...so...so...

-Go on.

...so I flailed around on Blogger randomly, finding some mommyblogs along the way. I was led along a primrose path through their blogrolls to Maternally Challenged, who, at the time, was entering a blogging contest held by this wild and crazy dad (just look at him, promoting drunken blogging on a weekend night...is that vaguely insanely responsible or what?). I took a look and said, hey, if she and all these other people can do it, so can I.

From then on, the wild dad was my conduit. I surfed his Rolodex of blogs with abandon and threw some of his frequent commenters into my Favorites list. And then...and then... (sigh, small sob) I don't know if I can go on...I'm so het up...

- Take your time. We're all here for you.

That's the thing that's so seductive about the blogosphere. There's always SOMEONE there, day or night, and if there isn't you can always make your way through someone's archive.
(big sigh, composing myself)
Anyhoo, I participated in this blogging every day for a month deal, and all I got was this funny little sidebar image...and an increase in my need to see what else was out there. I commented on posts at my favorites like a madwoman. I began including more links within my own posts. I thought I could manage it all and live my life as a good mom, wife, summer camp head teacher, part-time art teacher, dog and cat mom, needlepointer, liturgical singer, and occasional library volunteer. But then...then...
(head in hands, biiiig sigh)

-What happened?

(head out of hands, barely composed)I found another blogging mom, like me, who's local. I got curious about other local bloggers and found this list. Once I added my name to it, I fell down the rabbit hole and into a parallel universe. These people share the same general geographical location as I do (and, in some cases, even the same house) and their perspectives are of great value to me and to the numbers of readers of my blog (that I can currently count on the digits of both hands and feet). The January 11th march on City Hall came and went...unfortunately without me. I did get to check out a lot of pictures and perspectives from those who went. I now surf their blogs and blogrolls regularly.

- So how can we help you?

Well, now that I have managed to live away from the computer for a short while - approximately ten hours - I'm feeling much better now. I only have two questions.

- Uhhhhh....

No, hear me out. Should I really be cursing as much as these other bloggers curse on their blogs? It seems as though everyone's inner children are allowed to run rampant in the blogosphere. As a mom of a young child, however, and a friend to children just entering adolescence who may well come across this blog (i.e., the impressionable kids of my New York friends), I recoil at using it on my little digital corner. What d'you think - trendy, or here to stay, this whole cursing thing?

- Uhhhh, Leigh, we really can't help you. You're just not ready to let go.

No, wait! (struggling with people trying to lift me out of virtual chair) To blogroll or not to blogroll? That is my other question! (batting at hands and feet as I am dragged to virtual door) I read someplace on the wild dad's blog that carrying a blogroll actually decreases the likelihood that one's site will crop up at a high position in a search engine's search. (kicking at a grasping hand) BUT I want to share with anyone who comes across my blog all the neat sites I have found. (throwing a few punches) Then (evil cackling) I can ensnare others as I have been ensnared! Heeheeeheheheheeeeehehheeheheeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!

As I hit the ground, I hear:

- We'll be here for you when you are REALLY ready!
(door slamming. I stare at the "Bloggers Anonymous" sign on the outside)

But....But...but they didn't answer my questions.
(dejectedly, I walk away, kicking at some virtual garbage)

Asshats!!!!!

14 comments:

Missy said...

We'll be there for you...

(hahahahaha!)

Yeah, I don't speak French nearly as well as ZB--and I'm much more likely to cut loose in someone's comment space than on my own blog. For the reasons you mention--I mean what if my kids are reading? Sometimes they do.

And I've been kicking around what Jay said about the blogroll, too. Wondering if I should kill it. Or maybe just hide it behind another link.

The Blog Critic is going to be paying me a visit soon, maybe he/she will have somthing to say about it.

saintseester said...

standing up Hi, my name is Beth, and I am an addict of the Blogosphere, too. Sits.

Seriously, what's worse, spending hours watching what people in hollywood have to say, or reading what a wide variety of average humans have to say? I'd rather read about people's everyday joys and pains. It seems much more human to me, even though I've never met most of them face to face.

George "Loki" Williams said...

Very entertaining treatment of a subject that many of us have given a good bit of thought. Myself, I tend to reserve the profanity for when I really want to drive a point home. Like many things its not bad when used sparingly, but contant use deprives it of much of its impct.

Leigh C. said...

It's tough sometimes. My parents were, and still are, hardcore epithet tossers. I was around an employer that swore every few words and then some. Once I had a child, however, things changed. I'm still jumping on my husband and some of my friends on the language thing, because I know how easy it is for the little guy to pick it up.

Then again, I AM still letting my son listen to "Get Up(I Feel Like A Sex Machine)" in our car on the way to school, so I don't know.

Ah, these parental dilemmas. James Brown or blaspheming?

Adrastos said...

I didn't know that you were such a new denizen of the NOLA blogosphere. I assumed that you'd been lurking for a while.

Btw, most of us aren't as scary in person with the possible exception my friend Loki. Ashley Morris is actually a very kind man and devoted family man. Me, I'm a jerk but I swear less in the blog than most.

Leigh C. said...

I saw Doc Morris at the parade last night, sportin' that stylin' fleur-de-lis on his shoulder. I missed you, however, which was quite a shame.

There's always the future....

jeffrey said...

"It seems as though everyone's inner children are allowed to run rampant in the blogosphere."

No no that's very much my.. um.. outer.. child... or whatever. I'm just trying to squeeze as much mileage out my limited vocabulary as I can.

Leigh C. said...

Hey, whatever works, I guess...

8-)

Funky-Rat said...

I'm a relative blogging newb. I started a different blog last year, and when life got me down and all I was doing was complaining, I gave up, eventually restarting here. I was master of the threaded forum - moderator, global moderator, editor, administrator - I loved forums, and made lots of friends there, many of which I hang out with in real life.

Forums have gotten ugly over the last few years, though, and I find myself there less and less. Many are dying, being overrun by trolls and people who insist that they're entitled to their opinion, and you're entitled to their opinion too (and not yours).

I don't belong to any blogging groups or anything like you and your friends do. I just blog for me. If there was one out there that matched my interests, I suppose I'd give it a go. My friends read me, but most don't comment, and that's ok. We'll discuss elsewhere. I put up the blogroll to spread the word about some people that I enjoy reading. That's all I'm really in it for - a place to get out stuff I want to say.

As for the language, that's a toughie. I tend to keep it on the clean side - limited to occasional words that you would hear on regular tv.

That's my unvarnished, newb opinion. But then again, what the hell do I know? ;)

Leigh C. said...

"Many are dying, being overrun by trolls and people who insist that they're entitled to their opinion, and you're entitled to their opinion too (and not yours)."

Actually, that's what some of the more popular blogs are turning into. Even I've gotten burned by that crud (check the "Blogs That Link Here" in my sidebar and you'll see what I mean). Ultimately, it ain't worth answering...but it isn't enough for me to stay completely out of SOME kinda loop. 8-)

phdaisy said...

Hey! This is exactly what I'll be researching for my dissertation so I hope you participate in my interview wiki! It's not up yet but will be later today/tomorrow. You're on the email list, right?

Leigh C. said...

Yeah, I am. Send me some more info, please.

Thanks!

TravelingMermaid said...

Well, Ms Leigh, you have quite a delightful way with words. Been seeing your comments everywhere lately and thought I'd check ya out. Very entertaining - welcome to the Nola blogosphere!

As for cussing....the perfesser does it with humorly aplomb so I let him get away with it. And a few others. heh. If you ever see the f-word on mine....take thee to a bomb shelter!

And yes, blogging is very addictive.

Leigh C. said...

Hey, TM! Thanks for stopping by!

Perfesser Not Dr. A does have a way with the colorful metaphors...

I guess there are just times when I wish I'd gotten a REAL clue as to what the blogosphere was all about before I decided to give my URL to my Queens synagogue's listserve! 8-)