It has been great reconnecting with the WordPress community. One thing I’ve always wondered about over twenty years of my dipping in and out of WP is how many blogs bloggers attempt to follow regularly. Since I try to read and comment as much as I can, I always have tried to keep my number manageable. Inevitably, I find new blogs which entertain…and that number creeps higher. Right now, I’m back up to 72. In a prior WordPress life, I was once over 100. I don’t know if you find those counts conservative, copacetic, or crazy.
Of course, bloggers blog at different rates, post lengths, etc. so the number of blogs one follows doesn’t begin to tell the whole story. I have seen bloggers in the past apologizing for not making the rounds on blogs they follow. I get that. I have felt I was letting down bloggers if I was super-late to their posts. Sometimes in the past, I wound up doing all following and no writing, especially when life sped up a bit or my creative juices completely stopped flowing. The recurring issue is if I’m not writing at least some of the time, I personally don’t feel like a “real” member of the blogging community, and prior frustration in not posting more has eventually resulted in my departing WordPress completely.
I recently happened across the phrase “plants figure it out.” I think this is a neat way of representing that whatever environment they find themselves in, plants make every attempt to adapt, pivot, and survive. It is what humans are also tasked to do when finding ourselves in new and/or challenging circumstances…figure it out.
So…it made perfect sense when I was hesitating a bit (a lot) about what to start off posting after creating this new (another) blog, I consulted with whom I felt could best help me figure it out.
Ficus was a house-warming gift from Mrs. B’s mother twenty years ago (grainy Year 7 Ficus @ Christmas picture above). It has resided in a sun-splashed corner of an upstairs room long ago christened as “office space,” adjacent to my desk…always watching over me.
At the top of this post we find Ficus present-day, obviously having figured things out over the years while hanging out in its little corner of the world. It has been trimmed back several times, yet always roars back with renewed enthusiasm for expanding its reach further. Therefore, there was little doubt in my mind a conversation with Ficus would help resolve how to best start growing this little corner of WordPress.
Ficus: So, what do you wanna talk about? Is it that blog I watched you start up the other day?
Me: Yup. How did you know?
Ficus: So far, I noticed you have only been reading and commenting on other sites…not writing anything new. From watching you in the past, that kind of behavior leads to your feeling like you are not a real blogger yourself. Over time, you start to get frustrated not finding time to make new content when life gets a bit more busy, and soon afterward you literally delete blogging from your life.
Me: Guilty as charged.
Ficus: So, how can I help?
Me: Well, I am now ruminating a bit about some of my posts no longer being on WordPress. I want to put them back online. They were my posts that represented a “slice of life.” I definitely want to have them available for any new readers who might find them someday. I do want to post more frequently going forward about my “go-to” subjects like current entertainment and sports. I love writing about them, and I’m gonna make those posts happen. It’s just a bit of a crazy time right now. Maybe my return could have been better timed to the realities of current life. I haven’t really gotten anything together yet.
Ficus: So, why don’t you start out on the new site publishing a couple of those prior life-y posts, and then blend in new stuff as it comes to you. That will get you back more quickly into that cycle I know you like to find yourself in. Reading, commenting…and posting.
Me: Makes sense, but I also understand there is a blogging courtesy where you give readers a heads-up when posts might be ones they have already encountered. I want to be able to bring this writing back without suggesting that. I’m sure I will be tweaking and refreshing the posts anyway, but since this new site is supposed to be my “forever” site, I would like all the posts there to look and feel exclusive. It’s not like I have them published anywhere else…except maybe The Wayback Machine. Is this being selfish…a bit picky…or bordering on the obsessive?
Ficus: Look, if those posts were well received, your followers are not gonna mind if they happen to find familiarity on occasion. I think they would agree with me you should do what makes you happy. These things giving you pause here are champagne problems for sure, pal. And to be perfectly honest with you, your readers probably don’t remember reading any of your posts anyway – no offense, of course.
Me: None taken. You’re right. It really is mind-boggling how fast the world spins these days for everyone.
Ficus: Sure. Let’s go with that. Anyway…it is your site. You get to decide if any fine print is required. Look, if you still want to acknowledge that blogging protocol, just let your readers know before you start out what your plan is. Good communication builds even stronger relationships.
Me: Wise beyond your branches…I am very happy we had this talk, my friend for all seasons. Thanks, Ficus.
Ficus: Anytime. I always figure it out.
I am confident Ficus has already started to once more figure it out that daylight hours are slowly decreasing, with its daily rations of light again approaching from different angles.
From the Autumn Equinox to the Spring Equinox, we have entered my favorite time of year. I am sure aside from my love for Fall and Winter weather in the Northeast US, the primary reason is because of the traditional holidays that fall within the first half of that time frame. Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s.
Retail and commercial “seasonal creep” has certainly become challenging to ignore as many companies continually try to tear at the fabric of the natural order of holiday traditions. As my love for Halloween has grown in recent years, I continue to be amazed at just how far Christmas has backed up the calendar smack-dab into Halloween. I love Christmas. I even love it more than Halloween. I just think it could be patient until Halloween ends.
I am pretty sure Halloween is pretty pissed Christmas is coming for it so hard (Thanksgiving is used to being overrun by Christmas, but it eats so well I don’t think Thanksgiving cares…). There are a number of entities I could call out for celebrating Christmas in mid-October, but I’ll just aim for one here. It pains me to do so…because in November or December I am all for watching a Hallmark Christmas movie.
Hallmark’s Countdown to Christmas starts this year on October 17th.
No. Just. No.
I think it is high time to push back this time. Countdown to Christmas should start on November 1st at the earliest. Make that adjustment to your calendar for next year, Hallmark. Thank you.
More importantly…Halloween thanks you.
Pictures Courtesy City of Salisbury MD/iStock
You are back in the groove, Bruce, like a .350 hitter (do they still have those?) who hadn’t picked up a bat all winter.
Thanks to you, I’m going to save a bundle on analyst fees and get myself a Ficus. The plant has all the answers.
Thanks, Mark. I think a Ficus would certainly be a much better option if you want all the answers.
Some people really do have green fingers, they exude a kind of auxin, a plant hormone which stimulates growth. Maybe your blogging does that?
Ruth, I will have to take measure of Ficus in the days ahead and see if its growth is tied to blogging growth.
Bruce, I’ve been checking back every so often to see if you posted anything and was disappointed that you hadn’t after reappearing at WP. Happy to see you writing. Not sure what your circumstances are, but maybe set a particular time aside to say a few words, share a quote, etc. on a daily basis can get you back into the swing of it. Your ficus is wise. Follow its advice.
Do you get Netflix? I just watched a really good series, called, “Community Squad” that I think you might like. It’s from Argentina, with subtitles. To me it was laugh out loud funny.
Thanks, Lisa. Good suggestions all. I have also put “Community Squad” on our Netflix watch list…thanks for that viewing tip.
You’re welcome, Bruce.
p.s. you follow 75 blogs?? that seems like a hella lot to keep up with. I’ve toned my follows way down and concentrate on a couple of prompt blogs a week, which is its own set of obligations, but it is manageable.
Well, they don’t all publish on a daily basis. Some folks only post once a week. I think I have the follows at a reasonable level for me right now, but time will tell. I definitely am more sensitive to the amount of following this time around.
You have a very wise ficus. I would listen to him often Bruce 🙂 I do agree with him on the concept that most readers will just be happy to see words appear on your blog that are meaningful to you. I think that usually means we write better (for ourselves also) because we have some level of emotional connection to those words, vs just churning out a post because we feel obligated. All that said my point is write or repost what makes you happy and fulfilled in the moment. We will read 🙂
Deb, thanks for your welcoming thoughts here. I really wasn’t sure about the need for this post, and wasn’t entirely sure how it would be received, but when I discussed it all with Ficus it became clear if nothing else it would show respect for my readers.
I follow a bit over 80 blogs but so many don’t post, so not sure that would be considered a ‘follow.’ I keep checking back but after so many months, I figure they are gone, so reluctantly unfollow them. 😬 That was my mistake with your blog. I was so happy to see you back here, though!
Thanks, Lois. I was very happy to find most of the blogs I followed before were still up and running. I have to admit I was pretty happy with myself for remembering most all of the sites when I re-followed them…including yours!
And what about Thanksgiving? All my cute turkey and pilgrim decorations deserve their day in the sun as well.
Back off Santa! Wait your turn.
You would think Santa would have enough to do he wouldn’t have time to steal Thanksgiving’s spotlight…
“Wise beyond your branches” got me😂 Welcome back, loving the organic approach and “wallowing in the complexity,” as my English teacher once put it… I feel like this community is a give and take process and an impossible-to-be-perfect balancing act. Like a spinning see saw. I tell other people as I tell myself, don’t ever feel obligated to read. Open posts that interest you. Support however you can. Likes, comments, follows are all supportive. There’s a ton of superficiality in all of it. Likes without actually reading, for example. I do it sometimes, even though I frown upon it… But usually only on sites that post every single day, and who don’t reciprocate. People who post quality, on a more irregular basis, I always read if I’m going to like and comment on it… As Steve / Martin Short say in Only Murders in the Building, “Embrace the mess” of it all. And welcome back!
Thanks for your thoughts, E.F. We have a lot in common regarding your observations and beliefs, including when it comes to “Only Murders In The Building.” Love your reference here!
I love Steve Martin. Father of The Bride is a staple in my fam.
50 bloggers is the limit I can deal with. And that includes a range from daily posters to those who post 2-3 times a month. Anyone who doesn’t post at least once a month (unless they publicly state in a post a good reason) I don’t follow. So I agree with your “I have to be writing to be a blogger” line of thinking. I mean, come on, once a month? Is that REALLY that hard? It is not. It just might not be the thing people want to do. Which is their choice. But they aren’t bloggers and I won’t follow them 😉
(I’ve been accused of not being forceful enough when it comes to sharing my opinions. I think those people “might” have been sarcastic?)
And I fully agree with your Holiday assessment. Each one needs its own time to shine. Even Canadian Fakesgiving 😉
Thank you for your thoughts here, Mr. B. I wasn’t sure if a lot of folks would identify with my expressing I didn’t have my heart in following if I wasn’t writing myself. I think Ficus will keep me focused this time. Indeed, it is Canada Thanksgiving Eve, isn’t it!
I get the blogging frequency dilemma, Bruce. I write in spurts according to how nicely my muse is treating me, so I find it frustrating that I’m not publishing daily like a of bloggers do. I like to think quality matters more than quantity, however, so I’d rather post something decent now then than something middling every day. Still, I do feel that sense of being left behind by the blogging community sometimes. Is there a happy balance? I dunno. If you find it, let me know. In the meantime, I’m happy to read anything you post, good sir. 😊
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Mike. It is quite possible I have my personal bar a bit too high towards achieving a happy balance between blogging and following, but time will tell. And if I do find that balance, I will tell!
Fall is my favorite time of year. Partly because my birthday is in October. Partly because tree leaves changing colors always awes me.
Anyway, have a good upcoming week!
Neil, Happy October Birthday…and here’s to both of us having a great new week of colors to enjoy.
I post everyday, so I know it can be difficult to keep up with my reviews, but I always appreciate when you do drop by. I follow a lot of bloggers, but don’t always have time to read or comment. Most of the time it’s the stuff that I’m really interested in that I read and comment on. My writing has gotten more detailed overtime, but I still try to keep them brief for those who don’t always have the time to read.
Kevin, it really has been a challenge for me to find that balance in following other sites. One of the things I love about your site is just what you said… the daily posts are comprehensive and concise. Easy to digest, easy to comment on.
Wow, you are back in the groove! I technically follow 86 blogs, but a lot of them have apparently gone by the wayside as I haven’t heard anything from them in years. I’m glad you’re back, and I’m glad you found me again so I can follow you! I look forward to more of your posts.
Thanks, Belinda. When I got back on WP, I made sure ASAP to reconnect. And…if you ever add more to Classic For A Reason, I’m all in on being there as well. I think that is such a cool place to hang out. Great reviews there.
I want to add to Classic for a Reason, so maybe you’ll see something there soon.
Ficus! As soon as Bruce asked your advice about getting back into blogging, I immediately knew he should repost some of his blog posts, the ones that he loves and the ones that will resonate with readers. You said the same thing – Yahoo! Between you and me, old time bloggers (like me) will be thrilled to read the posts again, and new bloggers will love it. Win-win. Let’s hope Bruce takes our advice, right?
Jennie, Ficus is giving a “branches up” sign to you (I think that’s the equivalent of our “thumbs up”). I am very inspired by your confidence as well, and I will take the advice from both of you going forward!
Good to hear, Bruce!
Java Bean: “Ayyy, wait, what? Trees and stuff are aware and can talk? There might be a few at the park who would have bad things to say about me …”
Lulu: “Only a few???”
It appears Java Bean may have grossly underestimated the amount of negative feedback from the park…😂
Great advice from Ficus. Yes, it seems plants always figure it out, Bruce. I do agree with Ficus that “you should do what makes you happy. There is no perfect balance of writing posts and visiting posts, so happiness is a good measure.
And I saw my first Christmas commercial yesterday! What the heck? Happy Halloween.
Thanks, Diana. It’s so out of control. Home Depot is running ads to sell Christmas decorations instead of selling things people use to help maintain and maintenance their homes for the Fall. It’s like Fall doesn’t even exist on a retail level. Happy Halloween!
That is one beautiful Ficus! 🤩 How wonderful that it has survived all these years.
Go with the flow when it comes to frequency of posting, whatever you can manage. I’m currently posting every other day, which works for me. As for reading fellow bloggers. I make time at least once a week, if not more.
G, Ficus is very appreciative of your comment…as am I!
My pleasure, Mr Chess/Bruce and Ficus. 🤓🥂
I would say that following and commenting on over 70 blogs is a LOT. I visit and comment on maybe 6 or 7, for comparison sake.
After that comparison, I thank you even more for being here, Alex. I am definitely going to try and get a healthy balance…find the right number to move forward with.
Totally get that ‘keeping up’ sense of dread / obligation. I’m at about half the follows of you, and I feel like I’m letting people down if I don’t comment and reply. I may need to limit my follows going forward…
Agreed, Ian. I will be monitoring my number of follows to make things work out the way I need it to. Thanks for stopping by.
Bruce, I checked your site a week ago and didn’t see a new post! I’m so sorry! You will probably hear from me more on weekends. I was up so high in people I followed…I couldn’t keep up and I was disappointing more than I care to say. That is why I went to mostly weekend posting. It got to be too much to handle and work at the same time. I’m an IT guy and have some spare time but it was pushing it posting everyday.
Don’t worry about repeating yourself Bruce. Next Friday when I post again…it will be my 4000th post. We do repeat ourselves and we repeat ourselves in real life. Sometimes I pick older songs that I covered back when I started…when I only had a handful of readers…and I do mean handful…probably 5-10…so I rewrite them and make a real post out of it rather than 3 sentences that I used to have.
If anything, some repeating helps us know you and the story you are telling.
Max, thanks for such a great comment. That is amazing you are coming up on that many posts. You’re a real veteran when it comes to blogging, and it is nice you are still hanging out here. Thanks again for the great reply to my post.
No problem Bruce…you write great and it never hurts to repeat some things. I can’t speak for everyone but it’s easy to forget things when you read as much as we do on the blogs….
PS…don’t ever worry about being late or whatever to my blog…I totally get it.
Even Taylor Swift has re-released her material; why should you hold back? I’m so glad you’re back, Bruce! But also, sometimes it’s just good to take a break. I hope you’re enjoying doing some writing again. Somehow I missed your recent posts which is weird. I think I used to get an email. I have just signed up again.
Amy, thanks so much for re-connecting. You couldn’t have said it any better…Taylor is printing money with her “re-dos,” right? Nice to be back reading your wonderful posts again!
Hi Bruce,
I just got around to reading this post of yours from October. I’m not sure what this says about me, other than I’m a procrastinator who eventually (e-v-e-n-t-u-a-l-l-y) will get to something that I want to do. In this case, I want to read all your posts. I intend on reading them all too. They are all saved in my inbox, so I’ll get to them one by one.
Thanks for explaining your reasoning regarding your blog and your schedule. I too find myself thinking similarly about the process and wondering whether I’m a good person, am I contributing enough to the community, am I selfish if I don’t read and like others posts. I guess we’re similar people.
Ficus loves you.
Thanks,
Reid
Reid, I am sure we are similar when it comes to being a “blog buddy” based on that comment. You have been one of my most frequent and responsive readers through the years, and I will always be thankful and grateful for that. Many folks stop by for a “like” here and never return. I will read and comment on other folks’ sites…but for whatever reason they never visit here. We all manage our blogging time in our own way. It is however the small core of folks who you create that ongoing back-and-forth communication with on each other’s site that makes blogging so much fun for me. Ficus thanks you as well.
You’re the best, Bruce!
I enjoy your writing and feel the same way as you do about the community. It’s very fun, and yet I too am surprised sometimes about some of these bloggers and their habits. It can become a challenge for me, trying to get a response from somebody, haha. Sometimes I have been liking their posts for years and years, yet they have never once liked one of my posts. What’s that all about? Oh well, no worries. People like you make it fun and I’m happy with that.
Thanks,
Reid