Thursday, October 29, 2009

Blogger Mullet

It is with a strong mixture of fear, dread, embarrassment, sheepishness, audacity and shame that a new button or gadget gets added to this blog. Adding anything to the HTML code takes me forever, as it is greek to me.

I dread it because seasoned bloggers have moved light years beyond the simple gadget I'm just now adding. It's like I'm wearing a blogger mullet......

It's embarrassing to nakedly expose the fact that a post doesn't have one response or comment.

I'm sheepish for hoping a twitter follower likes what they read and will retweet it. What a glorious thought! Or a seasoned blogger would comment?!?!?!

I feel audacious for thinking the same could/would ever happen.

Then the shame happens as the blank spaces talk.

Then perspective kicks in. After writing for almost a year every single day, like I promised to do, my raw, unfiltered, rough posts have slowly been smoothed a bit. Practice is making them more composed. I'm able to get my thoughts through with less words. Polished? Not. Better? Overall, yes. The shame turns into gratefulness that I don't have a critic doing a review. The blankness is better than that!

I look at hundreds of blogs and websites. They are so sophisticated with enticing custom headers, eye catching buttons, ads, gadgets and widgets which I don't even know about. They are intimidating and interesting. Beautiful reflections of their authors. No two the same. Dizzying in appeal and originality. True savvy talent, lighting up the 'brand' or stamping a cool 'makers mark' on their art, writing, etc.

I don't aspire to be one of the big boy bloggers with 243,000 followers/subscriptions. But if I don't put a gadget on for people who want to follow, how can they? If I don't put a retweet button on a post, how can someone click it someday in the future if it's worth a tweet?

Reminded me of something I believe strongly, and was reminded of last Sunday........
Set the frame work for blessing!

Once, for a backyard ladies tea for 40, even though it looked cloudy, overcast and the report was predicting rain, I prayed/asked for a clear afternoon then promptly put out the decorations, gift bags and set tables.......just in case my prayer was answered. It was.

Another time, Tess had a bunch of kids over for a bonfire. Craig got the fire pit set and ready to light, got a pile of wood, then quickly covered the benches, fire pit and wood as it started raining. We prayed/asked for clear skies for the kids when they arrived a couple hours later. It rained up until they showed up. Whipping the tarp off, they had dry wood, dry benches and a dry, ready to go fire. As soon as they broke up to go home it started pouring again.

Set the table. Build it and they will come. Set the framework for blessing! Leave the door open for God to come through in that specific way if'n He wants to.




5 comments:

Jessalyn said...

AWWWwww! Ok, I love the "blogger mullet" expression! That is priceless. I completely understand the desire to see those numbers rise, but I have to remind myself that this is not a job for me, but a ministry, a fellowship, a passion. If that is not enough for me, I need to rethink my intentions. Way to go on the new button. I hope that it helps spread the blessings!!!!

Kathleen Overby said...

Thanks for the reminder Jessalyn. The button is simply a metaphor for the
"blessing". :)

Chloe Knox said...

Hi Kathleen,
I've missed reading your 'notes' on FB since you left, so I found your blog. I love your perspective on life.... please know that even if we don't comment after every post, you are still touching lives. ~Kim

Kathleen Overby said...

Kim, thanks so much, you made my whole year!

Kathleen Overby said...

I did have to remove the hit clicker/counter some time ago, because I needed to write without knowing if ANYONE at all had visited. Freedom came slowly after that.