Blog Stalking: What's the big secret?

This picture has absolutely nothing to do with the words you are about to read.

It is just another shameless opportunity to show off my beautiful baby.

Who refuses to look at me.

Hello?

Yeah, I see what you're looking at.

Whatever.

I'm guilty.
You're guilty.
We're all guilty.
Of Blog Stalking, that is.
And that's OK!

Blog stalking is the main reason I have never made this a private blog.  Some days, when I'm feeling particularly inspired, I imagine all kinds of readers out there in cyberland hanging on my every word.  Or at least a couple of old friends who may have found me by chance, and who appreciate the opportunity to see what I've been up to.

About two years ago, I was working for a CPA, my first job after earning my accounting degree.  Tax season had just ended and audit season hadn't quite started yet.  In an accounting office, this situation leaves you with absolutely NOTHING to do. 

It was then I remembered that my good friend from high school, Brittney, has a blog and it had been a while since I checked it out.  As I was catching up with her growing adorable family, I noticed all these links on the sidebar...links to other blogs...blogs of people I knew!  And the clicking began.  Now, obviously, I should have been working.  Working on what?  I have no idea, but certainly blog stalking could not be considered earning my pay.  But, I couldn't stop.  I found old friends from school, I found people I didn't know, people who blog for the sake of blogging, people who blog about yummy food and awesome photography and how to be crafty, and oh, so much more.  I got lost in blog land more than once, wondering how I got to where I was.  Was this a friend of a friend?  Or a cousin of a friend?  Or a friend of a cousin of a friend's cousin? 

I spent the good part of May and June just blog stalking the cyberworld.  I became a professional.  I started subscribing in Google Reader, which made keeping up with the regulars a lot easier.  I probably should have been fired.  It is possible that I was secretly hoping to be fired.  I know, not typical behavior for me, but it was a summer of change for me.  That, I tell you, is a story that requires a completely different post that may never be written. 

As a result of so much blog stalking, added to the fact that I got married that summer, added to the fact that I reunited with some "long-lost" family members that I wanted to keep in better touch with, added to the fact that I now had much more free time on my hands, I decided to start one of those bloggy things myself.  Now that I have Laci to brag about, I think I've completely lost control.  I was hoping some of my other family members would follow suit so that I may keep track of them also, but alas, I have only succeeded in convincing my mother and sister to ramble about themselves in such a public manner. The obvious problem being that I see my mother and sister on an almost daily basis and already know pretty much everything they have been doing and thinking. BUT, I appreciate the effort. My aunt decided to join the mix for a minute, but, sadly, she posted only twice and hasn't touched the thing since. She seriously has some stories to be told too, like the one about ripping her carpet out of her house in order to get new floors, or the time her son drew all over the kitchen with a Sharpie, or threw mud from the backyard through the bedroom window. Yeah, she has stories.  I digress. 

Back to blog stalking.

Why the secrecy?  Why do we feel we must sit and read in anonymity, when obviously we aren't crazy people.  Well, some of you aren't.  We're all pretty much the same, just telling our stories for family and friends, and the occasional stalker who has stumbled upon our blog.  Above all, if your blog is public, you have to assume that other people are going to read it. 

A friend from school "outed" herself in my comments on Monday (which is what prodded me to write this post in the first place), and it made me so happy.  She admitted to blog stalking me (Hi, How are you? I know you're probably reading this), and then I had to do what any proper person would do.  I went to her blog and admitted to blog stalking her.  It felt so liberating.  OK, not really liberating, but it was a high point of my day and made me smile.  Why hadn't I commented before?  What is my problem?

So, now I'm really getting to the point of all this rambling.  There are many blogs that I follow, but not many that I comment on, and that is going to change.  I'm going to "out" myself and admit to my stalking, and hope that nobody decides to go private because of my forwardness.  I encourage you to do the same.  Unless you are really a psycho, and then I suggest you keep your comments to yourself because that would ruin the fun for everyone. 

Let me know who you are, I can't bite you from here. 
Do you know me? 
How did we meet? 
Do you visit here a lot?
Is there something you want to know about me?
Do you think I'm weird? 
OK, you don't have to answer that last one. 
Unless you want to. 
Remember, I can't bite you. 

I really hope I haven't deluded myself into thinking people really read this thing.  Please prove me wrong.

PS:  If you are a family member, and you feel the need to write some "witty" (sarcastic) comment about how you met me or that I've completely lost my mind, just remember that I know where you live and have a problem with biting.  But, I will still love you.

PS2:  I'll be visiting a blog near you, soon.

PS3:  If you don't know where to comment, then you aren't really a blog stalker.  But I'll forgive you if you just click on the "comments from you" below.