Sunday, October 01, 2006

Repost Sunday: Blogging Has Already Consumed My Life

I rerun some of my older posts on Sundays as a way to highlight stories that you may have missed. Just think of it as 'thought recycling' and a day off. This was originally posted July 24, 2006. It's weird rereading this now because I will write my 100th post later in the week. Hopefully I can think of something appropriate enough for the 100th post celebratory extravaganza...or maybe I'll just take that day off to celebrate.

Until I began doing it myself, I didn’t realize how popular blogging has become. I also didn’t realize how much time it can take up, which is why this little ditty is about how blogging has consumed my life. I haven’t even been doing this a month yet and most of my waking and non-waking hours (I guess that would be all of them) are spent on some aspect of my blog. If I was a famous novelist it might be ok, but I write 4 paragraphs essentially about nothing on a daily basis and fret over it 24/7.

At least I’m not alone. I read that the Surgeon General has lobbied Congress to declare the act of blogging to be potentially habit forming. The Surgeon General’s office estimates that every minute of every day one-third of our population is engaged in composing or reading a blog. The number of people thinking about a blog in the same time span is assumed to be equal to the populations of China and Needles, California combined.

My blog threatens to change the basic framework of my entire life. My workday is spent discussing either my previous post or potential new ideas with fellow co-workers. What makes that so pitiful is the fact that my workers don’t care about the blog’s content and 9 out of 7 co-workers polled didn’t even know I had a blog. Even more disturbing is the fact that the majority of those respondents have no idea who I am and aren’t sure why I keep showing up everyday.

At home, my 4-year old twins have stopped saying “hi Daddy” when they see me and now ask “watcha gonna blog ‘bout tonight Dad?” When my neighbor’s cat was accidentally run over last week, I got in trouble for taking pictures and pushing people out of the way while yelling “I can’t believe this happened tonight, I had nothing to blog about…until now, baby!”

If you are kind enough to still be reading this blog and contemplating beginning one of your own, take heed. I can no longer just enjoy or be affected by life, I have to approach it thinking about how it will fit into written form and whether or not I can find a cool little graphic to accompany it. Ladies and gentlemen, my name is Michael and I’m a Blogaholic.

12 comments:

Awesome Mom said...

I have taken pictures just for my blog so I have a feeling that I am verging on obsessive too. Help!

Lee said...

I'm so there dude. It's absolutely ridiculous. I procrastinate on work, school, cleaning, laundry, and yes, the kids. It's ridiculous.

I had my kids this weekend and had to install a gallery show and I still managed to post 3 times. I'm pathetic.

I just need to figure out how to get paid for it!

Odat said...

Oh how I know what you're going through...I do the same thing at work...no one really cares tho..and there are times I can't say why I'm writing down what someone on the cell phone next to me just said (so i can post it silly!) People just don't understand! Altho I was one of them just a short time ago..."not me, I don't have time for that blogging nonsense"....I just love it now...keeps me thinking and laughing and I get to know new and crazy people, like you! ;-)
Peace

Michael C said...

I'm glad to see that I am not alone, although I figured I wasn't ;-)

There's a link in that post to my first ever blog post. Compare that to more recent posts and you can really tell how worse the addiction has become ;-)

Thanks for all of your comments!!

Anonymous said...

"I can no longer just enjoy or be affected by life, I have to approach it thinking about how it will fit into written form..."

I can identify with what you said here. After the smallest conversation with someone, I think, "Can I blog about this?"

thethinker said...

Too bad I'm keeping my blog a secret from my parents. I can't blame my bad grades on a blog obsession.

Lizza said...

You are not alone, Michael. Now everyone reach out and give every other blogging addict a virtual pat on the back.

But please, please refrain from blogging about dead cats, okay? Or at least give ample warning so I can shield my eyes ;-D

mist1 said...

Hi Michael. Thanks for sharing. I don't have a problem. Sure, sometimes I forget to eat and I only shower on the weekends when I take a break from my blog, but that's not a problem. I haven't slept with anyone for something to blog about. See, it's under control.

mist1 said...

Just one more comment and then I'll turn the computer off. Seriously.

Unknown said...

AAAAAAAARGH!!!!!! Every danged
Sunday you put up these repost thingies and I have nothing new to steal for my blog. Dangit! So that means I have to go out and stir stuff up to blog about AAAAAAAAAARGGH!!!!! Gotta write...gotta writegottawrite !!!!

Hope you had a great weekend.


Later Yall.....

Cherry Popcorn said...

Oh my god.. i so understand what you mean! i just started blogging like a week ago and now.. i can't seem to get anything done without thinking of..'hmm.. what should i blog today?' or 'would i have any comments today?' It's just sad.. =(

Haha..But listening to wat you juz said, i think this is not just a phrase, a 'i have just started a new blog' phrase.. i think i'm gonna be in this for good!!! help!!!

Parlancheq said...

I can totally relate! I hardly even watch TV anymore. Or go out. Or do chores. Or eat. Or bathe. Or sleep. Yikes!