A torn hamstring isn’t a legitimate reason for shutting down a blog nor is it a good excuse for not visiting other blogs but sometimes things happen and you just don’t manage to do what it is you want to do.
Truth is that I don’t think the hammy is torn but it doesn’t feel right and there is something about it that makes me wonder if there is something truly wrong or if it is in my head. What I do know is that I popped some Ibuprofen and skipped my workout and I rarely if ever do that.
Hate doing that because exercise and writing are my sanity and I will give up visiting other blogs before I give those things up.
Murdering the Blog
Hell, the reality is that while I haven’t completely given up visiting other blogs it is just not happening the way it used to. For a while I blamed it on lack of time and then tonight I tried to blame it on my leg, none of them and both of them are true.
Traffic is slowing down a bit here but that might not have much if anything to do with the lack of reciprocal visits and comments elsewhere. It is summer and things always slow down during summer.
Still I am thinking about whether my current approach is impacting the blog and wondering if it is a big enough problem to be concerned about.
I am staring at this joint lost in thought about the design and wondering if I really am ready and determined to renovate things.
So being of sound mind and body I decide the best way to answer that question is to share some links to posts that you might want to read.
Engagement is Critical
Social media is about people and people are about engagement. If you aren’t engaging on your blog you are potentially making the road are wandering down a tougher one to navigate, depending upon your goals that is.
Mine are mixed.
I like being a dad blogger. I like chronicling the lives of my kids and sharing my thoughts about parenting. I like writing stories and sharing my thoughts about social media.
This place still works for all of those things. It still serves its purpose so the question is what is slowing down the engagement. Some of it is time. I am much busier than I was and have been choosing to use it elsewhere and some of it is my interest in engaging has dropped.
So I compromise by at least trying to read blogs, even if I am not commenting on them. Sometimes I find some very interesting posts to read, but some are not.
I am sure people say the same thing about my blog and I am ok with that.
The Breaking Of The Fellowship
I am not sure why but I am thinking about how I feel every time I read about the breaking of the Fellowship. You know, the part in the Lord of the Rings series where everyone goes their separate ways.
The first time I read it I was really upset. First they lost Gandalf in the Mines of Moria and then they lost each other. Something about it seemed quite sad to me.
Father’s Day was a bit different for me this year. It was the first I have spent without my children and that was…bizarre.
Bizarre because I am not one to make a big deal of these things but sometimes they catch you off guard and this one did.
I saw Man of Steel and geeked it up a bit, thinking about how the story was sort of similar to mine. Kal-El and I both moved from one world int0 a new one and had to make our own way, except that dude got super strength, super speed and the ability to fly.
Something tells me his deal was better.
Anyhoo, I really enjoyed the movie but apparently I am not as big a geek as some of the other fans out there who complained that the movie makers went too far afield with this version.
Sometimes a movie is just a movie.
And Sometimes A Blog Is Just A Blog
Here we are again at the tail end of the post and I haven’t shared 666 tips for killing  a blog or murdering a blogger. I could tell you that lack of engagement trumps everything or that lack of engagement and poor content will do that, but I don’t need to spin.
I used that headline to try and capture some readers who might not visit otherwise. Shared a mix of old posts to see if I could capture other readers.
Sometimes a blog is just a blog. Either you have fun with it and you stay in the race or you reach a place where you don’t enjoy it and you drop out.
Look around friends, familiar faces are dropping. What are you doing to keep things fun and enjoyable for yourself?
I know what I am doing, hope you do too.
I’ve dropped off some myself. At first it was because I was writing a new novel but now I’m finding it hard to get back into the flow. I’ve decided not to make myself crazy about it.
Hi Bridget,
Well I think a new novel is an excellent reason for not blogging. I should do more work on mine.
I didn’t feel like murfering anyone today, so I guess that’s okay 🙂
It’s summer, it’s dead, and some of us are wildly busy. You could probably pick up in the fall and find many saying,”Sorry I didn’t see any of your posts, Jack, I wasn’t around,” and you could just not tell them anything 🙂
Hi Julie,
I just might do that. I could post a gone fishin’ sign and see what happens. I kind of like that idea. 😉
Exactly. Sometimes a blog is just a blog.
And sometimes it’s more.
But it’s always your space to do as you wish. And your friends will come by and engage and interact and do what they do, and you do what you do and it all goes around and comes around and so forth. You read me? (As in do you follow because I’m all rambly, but you get it – right?)
I liked this post. I’m sorry Dad’s Day threw you. But whether you were or were not w/your kids, you’re their dad, and that rocks for them.
My husband saw Man of Steel in IMAX and enjoyed it. I’ll catch it on cable eventually. I’m sure the new kid is “Superman cute” and all.
Hi Andrea,
Yeah, I follow, rambly our not. 😉 I like rambling, I am good at it.
I admit that the new Superman actually struck me as being handsome. I don’t notice those things in men, but I could see why the woman next to me kept muttering, “oh my.”
Summers are always slow. People get out more. And I say, good for them.
Me too. I’ve been spending more time offline. Those flower beds aren’t going to happen without my hands. Those weeds won’t pull themselves. And that’s a pity. [grin]
Unfortunately, Round Up has been linked to human breast cancer and bee kill off.
And still, I am restless like a white tiger on a hot summer night. I can’t fill that with blog posts, games, or online shopping. And that’s not a snub on my online friends and fellow bloggers. Because the burden is mine and not theirs. Or you.
Try vinegar on the weeds (water, vinegar, and a little dish detergent)
Hi Stan,
Summers are slow and that is ok. It is good to get outside and step away from the electronic leash. It is good to work up a sweat, exercise is a definite help for that restless pacing.