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Saturday, August 26, 2006

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.


7 comments:

JR's Thumbprints said...

"The Kindness of Bloggers" has to extend beyond saying, "Great post." It's the advice that counts, especially when it comes to improving a blog. Your point is well taken from someone who loves to compete.

Lizza said...

I was ready to express sympathy when I read that your mouse had died. Good thing I realized in time that you were talking about another kind of mouse entirely, haha!

The blogs I like are almost as diverse as the world's cultures (I like both nice and naughty blogs), and I try to express my appreciation to those blog writers in small ways. I know how good it feels when someone (such as yourself!) leaves a well-meaning, sincere comment...however short or long (or funny/unfunny) it is.

Thanks for mentioning my blog in your post, Mimi!

Anonymous said...

You got that many hits from winning Bestest Blog? Un-frickin'-believable. An academic friend of mine has said, "Bloggers are taking over the world," and then challenged me to use my blog to help fix the geopolitical situation in the world. Which I would love to do. But right now, I'm fixing myself, which I'm sure you understand, because I see the same kind of vulnerability in your writing, too. I became a mushy mess in midlife and sometime in the last year, I just said, "I give up. I will embrace the mush." I have a feeling you of all people understand exactly what I just said.

Now let's get to that novel, shall we?

best,

gale

Mimi Lenox said...

JR,

Well said. If you'd like more insight into what's really happening in the the blogosphere (you know, the important stuff) you'll really like Lizza & Gem's blogs. See above.
I'm glad you stopped by.

Mimi Lenox said...

Lizza - my mouse has seen the Resurrection but thanks for your misguided concern! Too funny.
Yes, the diversity shown in the blogs you choose is what makes you and your site unique. Keep up the good work.

Mimi Lenox said...

Gale -
My vulnerability is showing?? Uh oh. Darn. Rats. You cut me to the mush - as it were.

Of course, you're right. Here's the beauty of our mush: Not only have you expressed exactly what I was thinking about said mush but reaffirmed, once again, in your own Gale-like-way, that the raw places in our hearts and minds is what the world really wants to hear.
Here's to vulnerability. May be both never lose sight of real.
Mimi

Reeholio said...

Phew. I too thought your pet mouse had died. Thank goodness it is alright. I didn't quite get a 1000 hits on the first day, but there is nothing wrong with a little exageration. Did you see what time I posted that post on compliments? 1:42am. Needless to say I burnt a bit of midnight oil that night. I'm honored again to be the inspiration for your writing.

Thanks and regards,

Rhys

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