Garden Party Or Not….You Have To Please Yourself

I was off line for a day while we were without WiFi coverage recently.  When I was able to log on the next day I was interested to read some blog postings or comments on blogs regarding the whole matter of Reader/Follower comments and the issue of the number of Followers on various blogs.  Wow!  Quite an assortment of ideas and opinions.  I wasn’t going to touch this one with a 10-foot pole but then decided….it’s MY blog I’m writing on, so why not?

First of all, I appreciated all the ideas and opinions that were thrown out there for the common good.  After all, blogs are first and foremost opinions and ideas.  But everything I read did remind me of what singer Rick Nelson wrote after being booed off the stage in a concert in 1971.  He consequently wrote the song Garden Party and it was released as a single in 1972.  Part of the lyrics were:

“But it’s all right now, I’ve learned my lesson well

You see, you can’t please everyone, so you’ve got to please yourself”

Those lyrics express my thoughts on the subject of blogs and comments.  I started my blog with the first post on August 24, 2008.  No followers and no comments.  A couple of posts later I got my first comment from my cousin.  WooHoo, I was excited to see a comment!!!   A couple of posts later I got my first Follower…..again my cousin, Gail.   WooHoo, I was excited to see I actually had a Follower (and I didn’t really have a clue what a Follower was). 

                                        A person parasailing at Walt Disney World.

Back in the beginning I was anything but a daily blogger.  From Dec. 16, 2008 to April 21, 2009 I only posted 17 times…..and found NO comments.  I did not give up since I wasn’t blogging just for comments.  By June 18, 2009 I had received 3 comments.  I still did not give up and I wasn’t even sure if anyone was reading my posts.  I had no Sitemeter or counter….so, who knew?  After blogging for a year I began doing almost daily posts, beginning on August 6, 2009.  I then began to see some comments.  Was I excited?  Yeah.  Mainly I was excited because I could follow up on the comment to see who wrote it, which allowed me to find other RV bloggers out there that I hadn’t known existed. 

                                       A closer look showed a tandem pair of parasailers.

As I began reading more and more by the RV bloggers, I began to “Follow” them.  That allowed me to read them as often as they posted and I could put them on my Blog List for others to find.  Mutual consideration is nice.  I was really amazed at how wonderful the other blogs looked, and I tried to figure out how to make mine look better and read easier.   I’m no techno-wiz and it has been a slow and difficult process for me.  I’ve screwed it up more times than I can count.  Then I decided…again to please myself…that I just would make my blog look the way I wanted it to look.

I also began leaving comments on many of the blogs I read.  If someone takes time and energy to post something, and “if” I find it interesting, I’m happy to leave a comment.  And if I leave a nice comment regarding one of their loved ones…..I mean it.   I’m not just “kissing butt”. 

I also decided somewhere along the way, and I do not remember when, to write from my heart and from my experience.  I do not “pander to the audience” just to get a comment.  To me that would just be phony.  I love getting comments like everyone else and I also enjoy seeing my “Follower” list grow, but those aren’t the most important things in writing a blog.  The most important thing for me is the sharing of ideas, photos, information and our life stories.  I feel I’ve lucked out on finding a wonderful community of RV bloggers out there in the world.  Most of you we’ll never meet, unfortunately, but the community of people still exists online if nowhere else.   Just like Mike and Gerri posted, I read your blogs so that I can know more about YOU.  Not just where you’ve traveled or how you’re traveling, but maybe “why” you traveled there.  What makes YOU tick?  What do YOU like?  What do YOU do when you are not out in your RV? 

                                       Coming in for a landing on the speedboat.  

As I posted yesterday, our blog exists to share the stories of our lives as travelers and about our times with our family.  And thanks for the comments on that by folks that do enjoy reading that stuff.  I know a lot of people read that never post a comment…and that is OK, too.  Thanks all the same for reading!  Much appreciated.

I want to also thank all of you bloggers, since I’ve learned so much from you.  However, there are 2 particular people that I have learned the most from.  For me they have been blogging gurus.  From Rick (maybe a genius) I have learned a lot about the technical aspects of the whole blogging business.  Invaluable assistance…and I thank YOU.  From Bayfield Al I have learned a lot about photography and how to edit my pics to make them look better.  I enjoy just drooling over the pics on his blog.  Again, invaluable assistance…and I thank YOU.  

So, let’s all make nice and just enjoy reading, following or leaving comments if the mood strikes you.  Believe me, I’m reading all of YOU out there whether I leave a comment daily or not. 

Remember Rick Nelson the next time you write out a new post.  “you have to please yourself”. 

Until next time…..so long for now!