Blog friends

Even though I have only been blogging for seven months, I have been doing it long enough to make a few observations about this funny little addiction. That's right, I called it an addiction. Being a reformed junkie, I know an addiction when I see one. No, I never did heroin or hit the pipe. But a junkie is a junkie regardless of the choice of poison. Digging around, searching for enough change to buy a can of tabacco just to feel the rush when I put a little pinch between my check and gum is just as degrading as hocking a hot stereo to score some rock. Hiding out downstairs to indulge in my nasty little habit away from the disapproving eyes of my family and friends is just a guilt generating as hiding a bottle of vodka in the laundry hamper. But of course, that is not really the subject of this blog. Just one of my little asides that make reading my blog the most enjoyable part of your day. Here's the thing. Since I pride myself in being able to see people as individual, I don't like to overly generalize. But it seems to me that there are some very distinct types of bloogers. There are those that set up a blog for family and friends, some are truly daily journals, others are the "know it alls" that want to share their extensive knowledge and the last are the people that started blogging a topic, but soon began to share more about themselves than they originally planned. I think I fall into the last catagory. I think a few of you are, too. You know what I am talking about, you spill your guts on to a page inviting, no begging other people to stop by and tell you how wonderful your creative talents are. Occasionally, some one starts reading. Rarely, a random stranger will be taken by something in your blog. For some unknown reason, they decide to visit again. Only this time they leave a little tidbit in the form of a comment. Out of curiousity, you decide to check out their blog, view their profile and maybe even take a few moments to leave a little "Stopped by to visit" or "Really like you blog". Then the dance begins. When you really like this person you have never met, you blog roll them. You find yourself slipping to their blog during down times at work to check out what they are writing about today. Then you check your stats and see that they have been peaking in at you on occasion. Feeling the electricity building, you check the profile a few times just to get a look at that picture. There is something in the look of their eyes that makes you wonder what their story is aside from what the choose to write on their blog. After a week or two, you continue visit. After a few months, the person seems as familiar as one of your "real" friends. Soon, you find yourself revealing more about yourself other than the "subject" of your blogs. Then your hooked. You can do your job, tend to your family and friends, go to the movies or go on vacations. But no matter what you do, you've gotta get your fix. Admit it. When you are away from your computer for more than a few hours, you start to feel the itch. You just have to get online to check your stats, see what your new friends wrote, tweek your template and more important than anything - post. Gotta post, gotta post, gotta post. Nothing like the feeling of pressing that "Publish Post" button. Nothing like it, nothing like it, absolutely nothing like it. Sure hope it isn't just me. More stories from Paul Gavin. Info on novels Paul Gavin's Storefront. Technorati Tags: Fiction, Online Book, Chapter, Rebeleyeball, Paul Gavin IceRocket Tags: Fiction, Blook, Chapter, rebeleyeball