Commenting About Commenting

For a long time, I resisted adding a site counter to this blog. Perhaps I resisted humiliation. More likely, I think that I want to write what I write, whether it is read by two, twenty, or two hundred. In point of fact, I am most pleasantly surprised by the fact that anyone at all chooses to read and follow this poor plod's ploddings; I knew that a few were reading along, and that was sufficient.

However, the sitemeter reveals that far more drop in than I thought. Some enter through odd searches and must be most disappointed by what they find. For example: someone arrived at my Bean American post by searching "Great Northern Beans"; he or she must have been terribly disappointed. Others seem to arrive by clicking Next Blog, and they are generally also quick to depart: about as quick as I am to click away from the plethora of pubescent twaddle that I find in spades when I give Next Blog a whirl. Having said that, I have been pleasantly surprised to note that quite a few people check in each day to see if there are new entries: many more than I had thought. (Fear not: I can't track who's who unless I want to pay for the privilege, and I don't.)

I am surprised by the number of visitors because this is not a blog which receives a plethora of comments. I think it's partly an age thing. Daughter has a highly commented blog. She will throw out a single line and receive five comments. It's almost like a chat line or instant messaging, with the instant aspect removed: more like delayed messaging. There's nothing wrong with that, but it's something practised more by the predominantly youthful bloggers than us older windbags.

Where I am heading with this post is to a big thank you for those who do make an effort to comment from time to time. I read the comments, but I am not terribly good at responding to them on my own blog. Generally, however, I get around to posting comments on the blogs of people who bother to post on mine.

I am not so terribly petty that I only comment by reciprocation, for I also comment on other blogs, whether they read mine or not. For the life of me, however, I cannot understand why a typical, small-time blogger with a typical, small audience would not bother track the occasional commenter and reciprocate — just once, as a polite acknowledgement would seem appropriate. It seems to be a sort of common decency, a matter of manners and social grace. I am not talking about the mega blogs such as Real Live Preacher or Rayne Today; they're too big for that. But why the authors of little blogs don't return comments either on their own blog or on mine is well beyond me.

I suspect that many of us scan quickly and move on. I know that I do for the most part. Nevertheless, I offer comments from time to time: mostly because I know that it is pleasant to receive some sort of feedback. It is a vindication of sorts. I really should offer more than I do both on other's blogs and in reply to comments on my own blog, but I'll likely change little.

My main point in going around the mulberry bush on this topic is to thank those who have commented and who will comment. You are noted and appreciated, even though you are not always directly acknowledged. I will definitely peruse your blog and may even post my own comment to you.