The Kindness of Bloggers

I just read Rhys Postlewaight's entry entitled Compliments-The Art of Making Someone Feel Good and it gave me much to think about. You might want a cup of mocha for this one. I have a few things to say.

My mouse died at 3 am this morning in the middle of research, a new post, and a host of other multi-tasking online activities. I was not a happy pet owner.
As many of you know, midnight to 3 am is my favorite time to write. The computer froze, I hadn't saved (I know.......don't say it) and I was on a roll. What does this have to do with Rhys post? I'm getting there.......


My blog brain has been spinning ever since Bobby Griffin, of The Bestest Blog of All-Time fame, emailed me at 11:30 pm Tuesday night to tell me I'd been chosen for Wednesday's (8/23/06) with this suggestion "I wanted to let you know ahead of time in case you wanted to crank out one last post, spruce up your template, etc....." YIKES! I had less than thirty minutes to be brilliant.

Remembering that A World of Reeholio had clocked in at over 1000 hits the first day his site was nominated, well...let's just say, the pressure was on. But the adrenaline was intoxicating. I typed my little fingers off until 4 am, researching Gone With the Wind and writing a Rhett Butler parody for my Dating Profiles site. I wasn't sure if it was funny enough, just knew I was happily exhausted (!!) and put the blog to bed.
True to Rhys' prediction, comments started filling my inbox almost immediately. I got two hours sleep, attended a heavy duty meeting at 9 am, worked until 8:30 pm and nearly killed myself getting home to check on the site. It was incredible!!

I am thankful for the link exchange concept such as A World of Bloggers, Bestest Blog and others; but there is much more to it than that. Sometimes, I'm technically challenged; like today, when my right-hand pet bit the dust AND my frustration with not being able to get the BestestBlog live link applied to the sidebar slowed me down. So, I decided to send Rhys an email to ask him how in the world he DID that (I wrote Bobby and did what he said but still couldn't get it). When I clicked on Reeholio today and read Rhys well-written post I got all side-tracked and thought........hmm...now here's a guy who takes the time to be appreciative of others. We could learn a thing or two from Rhys. With all the zillions of picture-taking tasks I'm sure he's itching to get to, he takes the time to write about Yours Truly my fellow friendly blogger, Author Gale Martin GEM's blog) and give her the props she deserves...and not in the usual commercialized way. If you haven't read Gale's article on Happy Friend's Day, I suggest you do. Peppered with a disclaimer and reflectively written off-the-cuff, she extols the value of friendships old and new.

Rhys is a smart guy. He knows what's important.

Gratitude is not unusual for Gale. She always gives credit where credit is due (the mark of a great writer, by the way) and does not succumb to blog-writer's-competition illness like so many others.
She is not intimidated by the work of strangers.

Gale Martin is a smart woman. She knows what's important.
Which leads me to my Saturday epiphany.

Blogging is exponentially exploding, and there are as many subjects as there are words on Wikipedia. And who's to say that my blog, or Rhys'sblog(s), or Lizza's wonderful blog, or Amanda-the-comical-nurse-in-training, or anybody else should have the edge. That's just it.

We all have the edge.

Intelligent prose will stand on its own.
Passionate photography will stand on its own.
So will fresh ideas and honest conversation.

Comments vs. Compliments?
I'd rather have one intelligent and thought-provoking comment left on either one of my sites than a half-hearted-self-seeking-gimme-a-link-please blurb anyday.....well, unless I hear from Random House or
a nice little request for an article for Bill Gates. Maybe.

Dear Bill,
I'm terribly sorry but unless you leave an uplifting an sincere comment on my blog I simply cannot work for you. ("Mimi....I think you've just done murder." Hush, Scarlett. I'm busy now).
".......and furthermore, Bill, I must have editorial ghostwriting funds for my friend, Gale Martin, (oh! you've heard of her? Great!) and a page or two in the techno catalog for a few sunset photos by ....."I know, I know" Bill chimes in, "that New Zealand photographer."
"You've heard of him, too?" asked Mimi, batting her invisible cyberlashes. "Of course! He's all over the internet. He's bogging down blogging here at Microsoft with all those sites of his. I just thought if we could steal you away long enough to write about something you know absolutely nothing about, you'd stop writing about your cyber-link friends and they'd stop commenting on your commenting on their commenting long enough to slow down the traffic and we'd all get back to work on the really important stuff (Ah.....the truth comes out)..." like our new education initiative for rising 1st graders - Hacking Hoax 101, with a HipHop theme of course - you've heard of it?"
Sigh.
He just doesn't get it.

"Have you ever heard of a book called "How to Win Friends and Influence People" Bill?"...."I know this great little article....."
Bill? Bill!? Are you there??

Silence.
Notta.
I should have listened to Scarlett.
"Miss Mimi. Is that YOU?

Well, yes, silly....of course it's me...We've been comment contracting now for quite a bit, don't you remember?"
"Well, dear Mimi, I just found my jpeg files - forgot where I stored them, the paperclip guy was out to lunch and he had to help me find them again.....err... - there's a rather blond woman with a literary air about her invading my picture files.....I just can't take my eyes off.....off.......(he was reading Gale's blog! That link thing is really working, Rhys!) (Gorgeous blond pic in right corner should be HERE. That would be moi).

Busted.
Thanks, Gale.

"I just don't think you're right for our company, Mimi, after all. I'll deal with that New Zealand guy another way." It was the coldest SEND I ever caught.

"But wait! (desperately beating my now nearly comatose new MICROSOFT mouse to a pulp) ..."I can do this! I promise not to get attached to any of your appliances in the catalog, I won't write a single kind thing, not one flowery megabyte of truth will drip from this sick mouse of mine.....give me another chance! PLLEEEEAAAAssse......"

I'll think of some way to get him back. After all, tomorrow is another blog.....err...day.

Well! I never heard of such bad taste."
Shut up, Scarlett.
"Bill, sir. You are no gentleman."
Shut up, Scarlett.
"I can shoot straight, if I don't have to shoot too far."
Shut up, Scarlett.........Fiddle dee. Forget about Gates. I just ran across this blogging lady in India....and this high school student's art work is really cool.
I think I'll write a review or two.