What’s in a Post?

Well, I did it. I was behind 43 new posts according to my email folder 3 days ago. Now, that’s 43 behind!

That doesn’t count the new ones I have had in the last 3 days!

But, at 2:50pm on Friday August 31, 2012, I was truly caught up.

I can hear some people now:

“Why didn’t you just skip a few? Why didn’t you simply skim them and click ‘like’?”

And I say back, “How could I?”

I chose to follow the 35 blogs I follow. I selected those people out of all the ones I have seen and/or read because they say something to me. I enjoy pouring over the posts each day (some days more than others, obviously, but still…).

All of these wonderful people poured out a significant part of their daily life’s time into creating something they felt necessary, for one reason or another, to include in their day’s work. I pour a good portion of my day into my post.

It would feel like wasted time if I thought people simply skimmed over my posts, clicked, “like”, and then went on without another thought. I, at least, assume that each of the “likes” I get are from people who enjoyed or thought it well-done after they read my post.

Must’ve been reading Statistics!

I don’t, for a moment, think that people pour over my posts like you would a statistics textbook or even a best-seller novel. It’s something in-between and different for each person and for each post read by that person.

There are posts I read because I enjoy being informed; others I read because I need a good laugh or, at least, a happy smile; then, there are those that bring (or almost) tears to my eyes as I see how they must feel and/or how they have to live.

I forgot the category of posts that simply make me think (or rethink) something.

I spend an average of 7-8 minutes on a post. Doesn’t sound like a long time, does it? I guess it’s not until you understand that I read about 10-15 posts a day, 7 days a week. Around two hours a day, I wrap myself up in the lives of others. So, not getting to do that for 3 days was depressing. I did it for good cause:

I was tired, I had a writing deadline to hit, and I spent part of it with other people.

The reason for this post is to let all of you out there know two things:

First, I do read your posts. Even if I don’t comment or if I forget to click “like”, I do read them. I don’t just delete them out of hand.

Second, I never assume that any of you do that to my posts. I am thankful for each comment, each “like”, and each and every view I accumulate. And I pay attention to what you write in your comments. I look at the patterns in the “stats” and try to not do something if it doesn’t go over very well after a few attempts.

All in all, I would say we make quite a team. According to my “stats” there are several hundred on my team. I really like that. Of course, that doesn’t compare to the 10-15 of you who I feel very close to now. We have been together for months each and every day (practically) and you are, indeed, special to me. I have shared with you things that I haven’t really even talked to my family about.

You listen and, more importantly, some of you get it, get me. It’s a big world out there and it’s nice to know that there are some who, not only get me, but that I can be a small part of your world for 7-8 minutes a day or, at least, think about you reading the post I created for that day.

You are special.

_
Namaste,
Scott