Those who talk to themselves are seldom interrupted. (Anonymous)

IComLeavWe: Join the Conversation

I've been blogging since 2005, and it's been mostly a solitary pastime. I know that there are blogs out there that have gathered large readerships, but mine has never been one of them. I'm usually surprised whenever someone outside of my loyal five (my daughter, my mom, my best friend, a co-worker, and a knitting friend) mentions that they read one of my posts. A comment left on the blog usually sends me scurrying for cover. After all, what could I possibly say next to keep them interested?

So why have I kept up with it? Probably because standing on street corners, talking to yourself makes you look really crazy. Blogging legitimizes soliloquies. And it's way cooler than keeping a written journal (which I had to give up because of the arthritis).

Since starting my blog, I've become a fan of other blogs. There are some that I read everyday (Willow Grace and Coggie's Yarn Tale). Some of them are blogstars, such as The Yarn Harlot, while others are "nobodies" like myself. I doubt that any of the blogs I follow are even aware that I'm there, but it still gives me a feeling of friendship to hear what they have to say.

Through my involvement with NaBloPoMo, I was introduced to IComLeavWe. According to Lollipop Goldstein (her trail name, which is a post for another time), blogging should be a conversation. And the conversation is continued through comments. IComLeavWe was established to encourage a dialogue between bloggers and their readers.

Although this scares me, I'm going to take the leap and join for November. I very rarely comment on any of the blogs I read, preferring to remain a silent stalker. And since very few comments appear on my blog, I haven't had to figure out how to handle that end, either. I'm more of a stand-along-the-wall-and-watch-the-party kind of a girl. But this month, between November 21st and the 28th, I'm going to step outside my comfort zone and speak with the bloggers I admire.

Anyone got any good blog-pickup lines?