Wednesday, October 03, 2007

Tangled Up

Welcome to "Lara's Thoughts," the all-jumbled-up edition. I'll begin by jumping on a bloggy bandwagon going around today: Delurkification.

(Yes, I just made up a word. So sue me.)

The Great Mofo Delurk 2007

I did this whole delurking thing once last year too, and I actually found some very cool bloggers through that post (Ffbgirl, Dee, and Dancing Dragon, for example). Having just posted a "please comment!" post last week, a delurking post seems redundant. However, I'll put it out there that if you're lurking, I'd love for you to pop in and say hello. I'm quite friendly, really!

Mostly, though, I spent today thinking about my own lurking. I'm not a true lurker on any of the sites I read, by which I mean that there aren't any sites on which I've never commented. There are, however, some blogs on which I rarely comment, and many on which I comment far less than I should. What determines if I "should" comment? I imagine the post as their contribution to a conversation - if someone said this to me in a face-to-face conversation, how would I respond? Rarely (though on occasion it has happened) do I read something that literally leaves me thinking, "Well, I just don't have anything to say about that." So if I have something to say, I think I should say it.

But the reality is that I don't have all the time in the world. I have a job, and I like to eat and sleep sometimes, and occasionally I try to talk to friends or go out and act like a socialized creature. So commenting every time I have even a remotely pertinent thought is, well, completely impractical. Unfortunately, this means there are many blogs on which I now only comment if I have something of Monumental Importance (or high comedic effect) to say.

So today, I made the effort to comment on every blog I read. And it felt good. I'm going to try to comment more often in the future, because I miss the conversational aspect of the blogosphere.

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On a completely unrelated note, picture this:

You're driving on the highway, trying to eat your dinner en route to your destination. Sitting on the passenger seat is a greasy, day-old sandwich, pre-cut into bite-sized chunks that you can stab with a fork and bring to your mouth. In the cupholder between your seat and the passenger seat is a cup filled with ice and vanilla coke from which you take occasional drinks, thus ensuring your thirst is quenched and your caffeine addiction sated.

Suddenly, while bringing a bite to your mouth, you hit a small bump in the road, and the piece of sandwich that was so recently on your fork is now in your soda.

Do you still drink the soda?

You do if you're me.

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And lastly, an incident from a few days ago that simultaneously amused and disturbed me. The kids and I are sitting at the table waiting for lunch, playing our daily "Guess What We're Having" game. Elfin says, "Maybe fish!" and I say, "Yum, I like fish."

Beloved responds, "Yeah, me too. I like tuna."

"That's right, tuna is a fish, Beloved," I say with a smile.

"Yep," she says. "But I only like the tuna that's fish. I don't like the tuna that's not fish."

...

Go ahead, read it again.

I wonder if she's been watching a lot of Jessica Simpson lately...

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

I thought of Jessica Simpson the minute I started reading the kiddie tale, ha!

Happy delurking day, lovely. I always have a smile on my face when I see a Lara comment, as I'm sure do others.

And for the record, I would have totally eaten the caffeine soaked sandwich. But you eat it with a FORK? I'm a fingers girl! ;)

Anonymous said...

I would also have eaten it!

We all love comments! I have so many lurkers, it's not even funny... Ah well, as long as they read what I have to say!

Anonymous said...

i love to make up words...i think that's why we'd be such good friends in real life! :)

Mayberry said...

I think I would've drunk that soda too. A girl's gotta eat (and drink).

Carol said...

De-lurking to let you know that I read each and every one of your posts -- and really enjoy your blog! The fact that you're from the Bay Area help, of course, because the Bay Area ROCKS!

Carol

gnomesque said...

Delurking!

Actually, I posted a comment last week, but just one doesn't really count. So here's comment number two! I'll try to make more in the future, too.

Wolf Lover Girl said...

Ah the famous Jessica Simpson episode...

I too would drink the soda, after the sandwich was removed and eaten.

~ Wolf Lover Girl

Big Sis said...

I think we all know that I lean closer to "stalker" than "lurker", but I'll comment anyway.

Often I'm un-original enough that nothing I could say has already been said (and I'm more of a "thinker" than a "responder", so I usually think of it much later). So I feel stupid offering up what little I might have to say. Which comes off as lurking.

In real life, it makes people think I'm stuck-up, or at least stand-offish.

Maggie said...

I'm a guilty, guilty lurker. Sorry! But I promise to be better about leaving comments - or I promise to try anyway!

And I would have still had the soda and the sandwich - a girl has to eat, after all!

Lisa said...

Happy delurking, Lara! It's a bit late but hello anyway.

Unknown said...

Hi Lara-
It means a lot to me that you read my blog and it made my day that you commented!

dancing dragon said...

"The post as their contribution to a conversation" made me think, huh, would I or other bloggers consider all of our posts worthy of face-to-face conversations? Maybe I should think about that more before publishing. :P

And just so you know, I was probably going to delurk around that time last year anyway even if you hadn't made the invitation.

Guilty Secret said...

"Delurkification" - brilliant :)

I want to delurkify my blog so much... but what can you do? I guess you can outright ask questions... hmmm, maybe I'll try that.

We do all love comments. I like a reader to know I've been there, so I tend to comment if I have any feedback at all, even if it's nothing big. 'Do unto others' and all that...

(I still drink the soda too.)

And re. Jessica Simpson... ha ha hahahahahhhh aaahahahha!!! Man I miss working with children...

Anonymous said...

I also get lurker-guilt when I don't read comments, but often I'm reading through blogs while on a quick break from working so I don't get a chance. Other times I think "Oh I'll comment on that later" and then later comes and goes.

I'd totally drink the soda. I mean, you like the taste of the sandwich, you like the taste of the soda... why not combine the two before they hit your digestive system?

aMom2E said...

I would pop the sandwich bite in my mouth and not worry about the sandwhich bits in my soda... I miss you SOOO much, I am sorry I have been MIA. Life has been yucky, but I know I need to dive back in around here! Miss you!!