Blog Addiction
Do you find yourself thinking about your next post? Or your next comment? Do you wonder how a blogger is doing, if the blogger hasn’t posted in a week or two?
For me, it all started last summer, when Noah Feldman wrote his notorious piece for the New York Times Magazine about how Maimonides School, my alma mater and his, had the audacity to crop him and his fiancée out of a photo. I found myself calling my friends in the Boston area to ask their reactions. No one seemed terribly interested. “Oh,” said one of my friends. “I remember when he came to visit Harvard, when he was still in high school.” What do you want to do, my friend had asked. The response was something about helping people. My friend at first interpreted this to mean he wanted to enter a career such as social work. Upon further discussion, she discovered what he really meant was he wanted to be President of the United States. Whatever.
Anyway, I found myself Googling “Noah Feldman” and “Maimonides School” in Google Search Blogs. Fast forward a month or two, I got hooked on my Google Reader and dozens of blogs. The other day, one of my son’s friends remarked on how many emails I had. “No, those are posts in my Google Reader, ” I explained. Though I do get an awful lot of emails, too, especially when during the week when I am working.
Commenting was the next step. Somehow, it was very difficult at first to leave a comment; I felt vulnerable, exposed. “You’ll regret what you wrote,” remarked one friend, who feels that way about what she says at times. But after a while I was more comfortable with the commenting process. I do tend to hesitate before commenting, and I edit and re-edit my comments, as though the whole world will read them and misunderstand them.
Finally, I set up my own blog. This was fun! As I am a web designer and developer, I have my own website already. I had read good things about WordPress, and I had an enjoyable time in December setting up the site.
Some people start blogs because they have something to say and a need to say it. I had a need to design a site, but…what to say? I still struggle with that question. As an artist, I try to intersperse text-based posts with photographs or artwork. And I like to add at least one image to a post, if time permits. My subconscious often leads me to my next post topic.
Thank you to the bloggers who have left comments on my site:
- Batya, of me-ander and Shiloh-musings
- The Scribbler, of http://pansophist-scribbler.blogspot.com/, who has a series about Evolving a Relationship to Fairy Tales
- Gail, of Rubicon3
- Therapydoc, of Everyone Needs Therapy
- Pesky Settler, of http://yeshasettler.blogspot.com/
- Rivka, of http://wingslikeadove.blogspot.com/…and I wonder how she’s doing.
- and Juggling Frogs, who has not posted since Dec. 28.
And a note of gratitude to any of my Highland Park buddies who have taken the time to read at least one of my posts, often after I prod them to read a particular post. And thanks to those who have commented ( especially my star commenter).
Gail says
Glad you left a comment on my blog allowing me to find yours. I enjoy reading what you have to say about art, family, health issues and thoughts in general. Please keep writing!
BabkaNosher says
I have come across some of the most wonderful perspectives, personalities and stories since I started reading and then writing my own blog. It's a wonderful experience! Now if we could only figure out where Juggling Frogs has gone...
Batya says
WoW Moi #1?
I started blogging, because people kept telling me that I had to put my "musings" on the internet. A friend told me about blogs, so I started Shiloh Musings. Me-ander came second.
Leora says
Gail, BabkaN and Batya...Thanks for all the comments!
Now I will have to call my friend in Boston to find out about Juggling Frogs. Perhaps she will know...
(And Gail, thanks for some perspective about what I write about...it's seems to me like whatever I don't have the opportunity to talk about in verbal conversations instead comes to this blog...)
frumhouse says
Let me add my name to list! I feel stupid, but, I have checked out your blogger profile page and didn't see a blog listed. Some people create blogger accounts for the express purpose of commenting, but not blogging. For some reason, today, I clicked on your My Web Page active link, and it brought me here! Blush :)
I will continue to check your blog in the future!
Leora says
frumhouse,
Welcome! Thanks for the comment. I feel like I get paid in comments...
I've enjoyed your perspective on your blog. Oh, my, I just looked at your latest post; what's with the aluminum foil on the toilet? Pesach preparation gone freaky.
therapydoc says
That story by Noah Feldman, and then the one about the gay student who wanted to bring a partner to a reunion, these are important topics. Really thought provoking stuff.
Leora says
Therapydoc,
You had to bring up the Noah Feldman thing again. The gay student who wanted to bring his partner to a Yeshiva of Flatbush reunion, that was a new one to me. But I see big differences here. I don't envy any Orthodox rabbi with a homosexual student asking for advice. And I am glad I was not born with that issue. Homosexuality is a difficult topic for Orthodox Jews. But Noah Feldman...if I say anything more, it will be Loshon Harah, and I would rather write a post about the halachot of Loshon Harah (maybe in a way that our non-Jewish friends can understand) and some of the issues that I have with Loshon Harah than discuss Noah Feldman, other than to say I think he made his choice. And now he needs to live with the consequences.
The Scribbler (Theo) says
Yup. Blogdom is a new frontier to me, too. I've only been at it since early last summer. I also carefully edit and rewrite all of my posts. Like Hellibrarian, I used to work at newspapers and magazines, and I'm still a corporate editor. Doting over copy is a lifelong habit now.
My reason for blogging is that I don't have the time to pursue my unsuccessful journalistic career anymore. I have children to feed. I figure a blog is the best chance I have of writing what I want to write, and still having people read it.
Funny thing is, I still find myself thinking like a journalist and trying to figure out what to "publish" to attract readership, and I obsess over my blog stats. Doesn't do much good, though. Intellectual blogs on esoteric subjects don't get much attention in a world addicted to easy entertainment.
Thanks for mentioning me in your posting, and for plugging my fairy tale series. It took over two months to write that essay. That's not your typical blog material, is it? I'm actually please with it, and happy that a few dozen people read it. It got more readers than the short stories stashed away in boxes in my study!
Indeed, I am one of your "goy" readers, so keep me in mind when you think something might take a little explaining for outsiders.
Leora says
Scribbler,
I find fairy tales fascinating, so keep posting.
>I am one of your "goy" readers
Feel free to ask any questions as you read any post. I like to use the blog to talk about(among many other topics) nutrition and about Jewish topics and their intersection, and I am happy to explain any details at all. It not only helps you, but it helps me better communicate.
Please leave a comment! I love to hear from you.