The Lonely Blogosphere

Blogging is funny, you have no idea who reads you.
There are days when no one reads your blog and you think, "Well, I guess it was all a delusion. I thought I was writing for others, I thought people needed my blog or felt inspired by it or did things because of it; but clearly, no one is reading it, so, what's the point?"
And then there are others days when people comment on your blog and it's like, "Okay, there is a purpose to this, there are people involved," and it makes you want to write more.
This week, I opened my blog to see three lovely comments, inspiring me to write more. One of them was actually an "inspiring blog" award from Pam Wight whose blog Roughwriting I follow. She was one of the first people to follow my blog and it was her encouragement, her comments on my writing that kept me going when I first started this blog. I continue to be inspired by her own writing, which is actually quite zen. She recreates moments in her everyday life in a way that makes you present to them, but then her style carries you to a place of new discovery. I only wish she would write more than once a week!
Part of the rules of receiving the inspiring blog award is that you share 7 things about yourself and that you list 7 other blogs that have inspired you. I support this wholly, and hope you visit these blogs. Us bloggers share a lot, but we get kinda lonely, so I'm happy to send you off to say hello to these other blogs too.

7 things, eeek, I feel like you know more than that already...

1) I lived in Tahiti, on a coral reef, with friends, for three weeks. It changed my life.

2) The one place in this world that I've felt totally at home, like 'Oh, this is who I am" was when I visited Ireland. Everyone there was genuinely curious, friendly, and talkative, to everyone.

3) I've never moved. The house I grew up in is still there and my dad still lives in it. If I want to, I can go home and sleep in that same childhood bed I slept in for 18 years, I really can (and yes, the stuffed animals are still on my bed).

4) I used to be addicted to television. I couldn't watch it for anything less than 2 hours. I tried, I really tried, but when my room mate moved out and took the TV with her, I had to make a no-TV-in-common-areas rule for our apartment. I'm pretty sure I'm over it now but I'm not taking any chances.

5) I used to hate to eat. I wished there were a pill I could take, once, and be done for the day. I dreaded eating in restaurants 'cause there was never anything on the menu that I liked. Then I went to Tahiti, then I lived in Boston, then I had no money... now I love to eat and the best treat ever is either going to a new restaurant or having friends come over and share their favorite recipes.

6) I love hieights. I love to be up, above everything, and I feel as safe on the edge of something high as I do sitting on the ground in the middle of an open field.

7) I love being small. Being next to an ocean or surrounded by big trees makes me feel cared for, makes me feel like I'm not responsible for things, like in the grand scheme of things, it's going to be okay.

7 blogs (I'm inspired by many but I'm posting the ones that I think you might not run across in the zen sphere):

Pam's (of course): http://roughwighting.net/

My friends in Tahiti: http://coconutradio.blogspot.com/ http://buy.kamokapearls.com/blogs/pearly-blog

My friend Vikki: http://thevoiceofvikki.blogspot.com/

The brownies I didn't bring: http://www.kevinandamanda.com/whatsnew/new-recipes/ultimate-chocolate-chip-cookie-n-oreo-fudge-brownie-bar.html

My friend Kelly (in Austin) http://standinginwaves.wordpress.com/

And the indescribable Rumpus: http://therumpus.net/

Enjoy...