What Would Happen if….?

Despite the fact that I feel like I’ve been doing this forever, in reality I’ve been blogging a couple of weeks. A short time to develop such an overwhelming obsession – at least I think so.

I am currently fighting the urge to ‘check’ the blog every 90 seconds or so. I tell myself I will actually stay away from the blog for a full 24 hours. I think I’ve been telling myself that for the last week. The longest I’ve gone? About 4 hours, unless you include the times when I’m sleeping – but I do dream about checking it so does that count?

And when I’m not checking it, I’m thinking about it. I’m thinking about the next post and future posts beyond that. I’m thinking about where to get pictures for the posts. I’m thinking about how to get a more accurate counter so when I ‘check’ it I will know how many people have really been by.

My conversation now is littered with references to my blog and I think I say it with a little too much pride. Most the people I know in the real world aren’t blog readers, so their eyes glaze over and polite nods and fake smiles are issued at the mention. In my mind, I roll my eyes because ‘can you say blogosphere?’ Wake up people, this is the wave of the future.

Okay, okay, I’ll admit that before I started my own blog I wasn’t really that into the small press blogs. I did have a few favorites that I visited but generally they were the big blogs, the ones everyone knows. The ones that discuss politics and issues of the day and usually penned by people with some notariety. As well as the occasional message board devoted to a topic/person of interest. But never really the under-the-radar, mom and pop, independent type blogs. Now that I’m in the know ;), I find myself getting into them. It reminds me of sauntering down to the general store and sitting around the pickle barrel to chew the fat with the locals.

But I digress…I’ve been wondering lately. What would happen if I didn’t check my blog so often? Would people still come by? Would they still read and comment? Would the hits be about the same or dwindle? If I actually didn’t post for 24 hours or God forbid, 48 hours would I lose what tiny readership I have? Would they move on to the next neighborhood blog? Would somebody email me and inquire about my health or personal life? Would I find other things to talk about to my non-blogging friends?

Maybe I’d actually go see a movie or have dinner with a friend. Or even take my dog for a walk. I could possibly do my laundry as well. Or…I could finish the damned synopsis for my novel which I’ve been going out of my way to avoid. Yes, there are many things I could do instead of the constant, obsessive checking of the blog. Staring at the screen until my eyeballs bleed, trying to will the hits to increase. The constant pondering of what to say next. The ‘not now, I’m blogging’ response to intrusive phone calls when I’m debating which pic looks best.

I wonder what would happen if I just hung out a Gone Fishing sign for a little while. I wonder about all of this a lot. But…I guess I’m still in the obesso-bloggo stage, so I blog on.