I must admit I am in a rather awkward position when it comes to new people showing up on my blog and deciding to stick around. I sometimes feel like I planned a small dinner party for eight people and then over a thousand people unexpectedly dropped by.
But that isn’t the part that makes it awkward for me… it isn’t like I have to cook dinner for all of you… do I??? I mean, because I will if I have to…
The weird part for me is trying to figure out what catches your eye in the first place, and more importantly, what makes you decide to linger and spend some of your valuable time reading my weirdness. The really strange thing is when people seem to be attracted to one particular thing that I do. Then I wonder if I need to do more of that just to keep the new people happy. Because I do want you all to be happy.
Take for example a post I did not too long ago about an exercise class I took at the gym. I got two new followers from that one post. But the thing is… oh cursed thing… that both those new followers were exercise/fitness devotees. I know this from reading their little bio things in the Gravatar boxes. Now I had never done an exercise post before, and I had no plans to do another one… ha… like I plan any of this… So here is my dilemma.
When people follow me based on something that I rarely do and might not do again, do I owe it to them to warn them that they might be here under false pretenses? Because that is what I did in both those instances. I know… I am just that thoughtful, right?
So every once in a while I do one of these posts.
In these posts, I tell you straight out that you can never know what to expect on this blog. Heck, I don’t even know what to expect on this blog.
I can promise that you will often be surprised. And sometimes you will be amused.
My best advice is that if you are new here, there are two things you can do to get a feel for what happens here:
#1. Scroll down my old posts. Don’t stop to read anything unless it catches your eye… just glimpse at the titles and glance at the funny pictures. I have the ‘infinite scroll’ set, so you can go all the way to the bottom if you want. This will give you an idea as to what to expect in the future.
#2. Find a post that has lots of comments on it, click on it, and read through all the comments on that one post. That will give you an idea of the awesome followers I have, and the kind of conversations that open up as a result of some of my crazy ideas. Because I have the best commenters in all of Blogland.
And speaking of comments, please make some. I like to have my ‘like’ button tickled as much as the next person. But what I really want is to hear from you. Your opinion matters to me. And I do think of this blog as an interactive experience. If you see something you like, tell me, and I might just do more of it. And you can get to know some of the weird people who hang around here.
One more word of warning.
If you are going to explore, please don’t wander around down there in the dark swamp of my brain without a map… and some food, water, a rope, flashlight, maybe a gun… because this blog is my whole life… and there are things down there…
Pouring My Art Out 
Don’t change things to suit new followers, you might tick off us “old” followers! These new people were obviously attracted to your blog the way it is or they wouldn’t have subscribed.
I just do these now and then as a public service… I have no intention of changing anything.
Wait… you want us to say things too? What kind of entertainer are you? I did pay for dinner and a show just to get pulled onto stage too?
Hmm, if that happens, does the person get refunded part of the ticket price… because, I mean, they are working the event then as well, aren’t they? I doubt it, but that’s the way it should be.
Sorry, got on a tangent, I do that… sometimes it’s sine and cosine…
Oh dear, I did it again.
I have a money back guarantee, just so you know…
Oh. That’s handy. I must have missed that in the fine print… or it just one of those “known” things?
Well you get what you pay for… how about that?
I can live with that. I guess. Today. I guess I’ll have to keep stopping by to see if that continues to be the case… Hmm, perhaps that was your plan all along.
Well played.
That is always the plan… and I am pretty up front about that…
Good to know. Good plan too. It seems to be working. So, ultimate goal is blogosphere total domination, or…?
No… the whole universe is what I am shooting for… then all the other universes…
It’s nice your blog comes with a set of instructions, maybe a warning is needed too for people who suffer epilepsy too.
I do those posts now and then also. And I did tell them to come prepared… and about the dark things…
What happened to demanding everyone read your whole blog in order? I guess some of us are just the special ones.
I now have over 1,000 posts. I doubt anybody would fall for that bit now.
🙂 well congratulations on all the posts and followers
I am moving up in the world.
I’m here for the jokes, I’ll just half close my eyes through the rest, including any fitness posts. Quirky just feels like home to me.
It was a funny fitness post… I have my standards.
Like I said, I do pay attention to the jokes. And the magic. I like your banter, too.
I can live with that…
Nah, I’m just kidding, you’re a good writer.
sigh…
LMAO, sincerely, I think I knew what I was getting myself into right from the outset. I think I was attracted more to how your mind worked, not what it worked on/with.
I have to say blog followership is another (business) side of the art of writing entirely.
Pardon my absence. My hands have been full, and I can’t afford me the time of doing justice to all your posts I may have missed.
Life often gets in the way.
Well… can I say it’s like a box of chocolates? Oh… been used before? Well… Something.like that…
It is more like a box of Ex Lax…
🙂
If only I’d read this before I first stopped by.
Oh well, too late now. 😉
I never felt the need to warn you about any level of weirdness after spending 30 seconds on your blog…
That may have been the nicest thing I ever typed to anybody…
I would say just be you, do this blog for you, can’t please everyone, and you can’t control who comes and stays. 🙂
I don’t really care… but doesn’t it make it sound like I do?
Ha! I read it, it’s good and you’re right there is something wrong with their brains. Abuse causes a child’s brain to be damaged, and I’m not talking about being hit in the head. 🙂 It’s ready to go for tomorrow and thank you so much!
I could have said the part about abusers not being totally responsible for their actions better…
You say it however it feels right for you. 🙂
I typed that so fast… no time for thought.
You’re welcome to check it our while thinking…lol
No… I believe in me…
okay
I’m not sure if I’ve just been insulted or complimented. Weird, eh? And I always arrive with food, water (or something stronger) and fully armed.
Yeah… that hardly makes you weird at all… the number one rule of blogclub… we don’t get offended by being called weird…
Well I’ll take that as a compliment then. 😀
When I say it, it is…
Exactly why I like to stop in! Where else can I take that abuse and feel like a million bucks?
To anyone who grew up near Berkeley, weird is the ultimate compliment. But I could probably think up more clever ways to make you feel both abused and rich at the same time if you really want me to.
I grew up near Holly Shopping Center, where the ultimate compliment was being invited on a date to disco night at the Bel Rae Ballroom. So there isn’t much you could say that would make me feel richer or more abused than that.
I think you won that round…
😀
You’ve tickled my whiskers! =^.^=
I hope that is a good thing…
I, too, am perplexed by new followers. A lot of times they follow and don’t return. It’s hard to keep up. I like what you said here about your followers being the most awesome in blogland. That makes all the difference, doesn’t it? That said, I plan to come by more often!
I will save you a seat by the fire… uh… that sounds a little too much like hell… how about a nice comfy chair… near the emergency exit?
There are things there that I have seen, and I will never be the same again. I had to have counselling for 11 years. Oh .. wait .. was that too far>
Ahem.
There are things there that I have seen and I will never be the same again. I had to have counselling for ..how long? .. oh yeah … three weeks.
Three weeks sounds about right.
😀
Of course the therapy must continue on from this point indefinitely if you want to have any chance of getting rid of the emotional scars…
Those are scars that will never heal
I know… but if I don’t offer at least a little hope…
Also, I get a small kickback from the mental health professionals…
That explains it all … the clowns in zombie suits behind the fifth door.
And all the pictures of Dick Cheney doing weird stuff…
Yeah .. .my mind had blocked that out. Thanks for bringing it back up. Now I need to go and bring my dinner up
whoops…
lol
right