Blogging: to Comment, or Not to Comment

I’ve got plenty of ideas for posts collecting dust in my brain, and as I was going through the catalog of them today, wondering what I should blog on, what has been foremost in my cerebral vessel as of late is this:

There are many different reasons that we all blog. Many use their blog as a journal of sorts, sharing their feelings or the day’s events or even getting into very personal issues. Some use their blog for education on a particular subject, some use it as a journal for their family life and kids, and some, well, some are just bored. I was thinking about all the different blogs out there, and how I read some in all of the categories I just mentioned, though there are undoubtedly dozens more “types” of blogs, and it got me started thinking about my own, about how usually my blog is fairly impersonal – yes I share when I’m happy or sad, but it’s almost always vague and doesn’t do more than scratch the surface. Now, I am absolutely okay with this. In fact, this is what I want; this is who I am, the type of person I am. I’m an intensely personal person, and sharing intimate details of my life is not something I’m inclined to do unless it’s paired with a healthy dose of humor and sarcasm (oh, and please know that if you are one of those people that share very personal experiences on your blog, there is absolutely no judgment on my end – more power to you, is what I think).

Anyway, so back to what I was saying. When I originally embarked on blogging, I was very hesitant to begin one. I am adamantly opposed to journaling. Like, you might have to inflict some pretty serious torture on me if you were to want me to start a journal, and even then, I might choose death. For realsies seriousness, here, people. I used to be an avid journaler, (yeah, I don’t think that’s a word) and then burned them all…dozens of them. Long story, okay? Seriously, like, don’t even ask. And to me, blogging just seemed like a journal – well, even worse than a journal, because everybody could read it…!

But I began, and I discovered something. People liked to read my blog, I seemed to be offering hope, perhaps, or inspiration, even? ... And, I really liked to write it. It became a release of sorts. It’s helped me hone my writing style; I’ve learned that I’m a humorist at heart and like to look on the light side of things. Blogxygen has given me something to focus on other than anorexia and the doom doom doom I feel all the time, and as I embarked on recovery from the psycho slut ED, (again) it has helped me with the identity crisis one undoubtedly feels as they begin to let go of the ED…and the questions one has like Who the hell am I if I’m not an eating disorder? Or Will I be good at anything else? Etc, etc, and it’s helped me find other aspects to the Brie-meister that I would otherwise not have found. So I love my blog, and I adore reading others, because I have found hope and solace in a community of wonderful people whom I’ve never met but who love me and support me, and I hope, in turn, I them.

So, this blog totally had a direction I was going in…and I kind of lost it…okay. Wait. I think I remember--

--But I’ve noticed something about the different reactions I’ve gotten to my blog posts. For example, if I write something that is more serious, or at least seriously depressing, in general, I usually get a tremendous amount of feedback and support. But if, say, I write something fluffy and light and funny, but not particularly deep, the feedback seems to be less. Now, like I said, I’m not whining or protesting this, I’m simply stating my observation. But frankly, it was kind of a startling discovery. Do we comment more when someone seems to be sad or in a crisis so that we can let that person know that we are there for them, or offer them some small morsel of wisdom that we hope might help? Do we perhaps not comment on a more light-hearted post because we think, hey, that’s great they’re happy or doing well, but I don’t really have much to say…?

Now, there are obviously exceptions to the rule, but in general, and not just on my blog, this seems to be something I’ve discovered…and I find it…odd, perhaps. Maybe a little unfortunate. For I think it very important that we show support all the time, and not just in the times of desperation or hopelessness. I think that it would be vital for us to find camaraderie and friendship not just on the aspect that many of us have in common, like an eating disorder, but on the other aspects of our personality and life, you know? I love getting to know about other parts of you, your life, etc. But maybe I’m alone on this, I’m not sure.

What do you all think?

Or am I not going to get any comments because this isn’t a post with me struggling? ;)

DISCLAIMER: Upon re-reading this entry, I have concluded that this post seems like I’m boo-hooing about comments you may or may not have made on my blog. However, I’M NOT. This was simply an observation I wanted to share.