123Valerie Strikes Again

Unprecedented Self-Indulgence.

Thursday, October 05, 2006

Blogtropolis (Or the One in Which I Give Ya'll a Virtual Hug. Squeeze!)

Blogging in the night can lead to awkwardness in the morning.

Or, like a one-night stand, it can lead to a fulfilling relationship. Either way, you know exactly what the outcome will be as soon as you roll over the next day.

I've had the wonderful fortune of "meeting" a lot of folks I never would have otherwise known through this here blog. Truth be told, I'm reeling a bit from the sense of family and support I've gotten from this outlet. I feel all squooshy and floaty when I think about it.

It's such a beautiful feeling—like ALWAYS having someone to sit with in the cafeteria.

But, while I've been lucky to get only positive feed back ('cause ya'll rock n' roll, hoochie coos) I'm worried to find out just what happens when someone's first glimpse of me is a random, misrepresentative post about things I might do with a zucchini or possibly how I hate waiting in drive through bank lines so badly that I wipe boogers on deposit slips. (Just, you know, as hypothetical examples, kids.)

Maybe that's the ugly-beauty of the blogarithim universe. You can instantaneously meet soul mates or just as quickly dismiss quality people simply because you happened to catch them on an off day.

And comments—whoa. They are like water balloons that can refresh and install fun on a hot summer day or can unexpectedly smack you in the face and ruin the hairstyle on which you spent 45 minutes and at least $2.47 worth of gel. How does one respond to comments like, "You should never do that with a zucchini. My family and I will pray for your soul" or "Boogers are awesome!"?

This Interweb world is weird because there's no context for anything.

That's the way it works: I start by reading a friend's blog and stumble onto a friend of their's that may have left a comment. Then before I know it, the process has repeated, and I'm reading the blog from Grampa, who is busy working toward world domination in Hawaii, but fortunately has overcome dander allergies and heroin with frequent cat-bathing. Huh? He got over heroin addiction by bathing his cat?

I just wanted to read Kristen's take on the camp trip while chewing on a muffin at work. Then suddenly I'm trying to figure out what the hell is going on in someone else's life when I can't even figure out what's going on in mine.


We need a photo here. Very text heavy, this post. This is my Adelka Ann. I stole this from her online portfolio. She makes me cry with her talented dancing/choreographing/acting/puppeteering/zucchini pancake making.

Every day is a journey in the blogtropolis. Before I could say "boo," I had 72 new friends who knew more about my life than my parents, even though I've never met these blogging buddies in person. It's not really uncomfortable, just uncharted.

It reminds me of when my Dad married my second Step-Mom, Paula, and her dear-hearted family took me and my sisters in—they were unsure of our background, character and whatnot, but they loved us anyways. I said "anyways" intentionally. 'Cause that's the way I roll in the bloggy world.

There's a lot of love to be had, tho, and Megan Jane and I recently had a lengthy convo about connecting with people we loved. She helped show me that "connecting with people" simply means welcoming them into my heart. It doesn't matter why they're welcomed—genes or friendship or Interwebbing. "Loved ones" is a very broad idea.

That's all that matters.

Amalah, Attention Whore, Bat Shit Crazy, Brinki Dink, Broke Kid, Candy Sandwich, Dad Gone Mad, D.C. Sisterhood, Flat Coke and Flies, Grampa's House, Janee, Johnny D.C., Lucky Alibi, Metro Dad, Miss Doxie, No Longer Mrs. Borrel, Soul Kart Wheel, Sweetney, xTx and so many others I've come to know recently or have just come to know better, thank you for helping to give me a voice. And thank you for sharing yours with me.

Wow. I feel like Flava Flav looking at all of these beautiful wimins standing before me who are way outside of my league, trying to decide who I like the most. Outside of Sumthin, who shit herself, I seriously could not imagine my life without any of ya'll. I want all of you to know what time it is. It's time to recognize the beauty in your blogger sisters and brothers. 'Cause that's how we do.

In the Comments section, tell me how the Interweb has enhanced your life. No rules here. It could be an online dating connection. Porn. Discovering a long lost friend through a reunion site. A really good roast chicken recipe at foodnetwork.com. Whatevs. The winner gets a guest post on 123Valerie Strikes Again on whatever they want to write about. For serious, yo. For I am only one in a sea of cool cats and hot girls. Cats don't swim, but shurt urp.

6 Comments:

  • At 8:11 AM , Blogger Kristin said...

    Blogging keeps me sane... Okay. That's a lie. Blogging keeps me at a functioning level of insanity. I needed a creative, word-oriented outlet in my world of numbers.

    I lost a very good friend over a stupid group blog. Another blogger reconnected us and we're better friends than before. Then, the other blogger went crazy and filed a lawsuit against the guy (a blogger) with whom she'd had, like, five dates and I had to write an affadavit for him even though we'd never met. Now, I'm no longer friends with her (because she's crazy and prone toward fabrications). I shied away from the blogging community after that.

    I've got some blogger friends, friends who blog, friends who read, friends who couldn't care less. I sent care packages to Iraq for a blogging soldier because he's a local boy and his blog made me think. He's home now; we're planning to go out for drinks.

    I've been blogging off and on for years, thanks to the Brokekid, my friend Kayla, the boom in the blogging world. It's part of who I am now... Wow. That was a lot. Sorry.

     
  • At 9:18 AM , Blogger xTx said...

    hi new friend.

    i'm a "writer" since i was a wee one. not in any good sense of the word, read:skill, but more that I want to tell shit and tell it how I want to tell it. And a lot of the shit i want to tell isn't always mainstream...and if it is,I try to make it not so.

    So blogging is a good way to spew forth my brain dump anonomously and not be taken to task.

    I've kissed a strange boy and touched his hard cock thru his pants because of blogging.

    And that's the only blogger I ever met in real life.

    All the other bloggers I "know" online, kick ass and I wish I could fly to all of their places and touch their cocks thru their pants as well.

     
  • At 9:41 AM , Blogger 123Valerie said...

    xtx, I can say without reservation that you have several standing invitations if you ever want to set out on that journey. Me included.

    I'll figure come by the anatomy somehow.

     
  • At 2:33 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

    I just wet myself a little bit seeing my name on your blogroll and mentioned in your post....heee. You did say that you would feed into my attn whoring needs and may I just say...YOU ARE MY PIMP!!! Woohoo.
    You know you are talking too much about your blogging friends when your actual real life friends feel a little jealous.
    It's a weird interworld, but I love it.
    Only another blogger would enjoy this: I was soooo excited today when my comments for one post went to 17!!! (My max prior to that was 7)
    I OFFICIALLY AM A BIG FREAKING LOSER.

     
  • At 2:58 PM , Blogger 123Valerie said...

    Damn Straight I'm a pimp, woman. A pimp who is happy to feed your need. Who's your ... Mommy?

    Now get in the kitchen in make me a sammich. You've got leftover turkey from the Canadian Thanksgiving, right? I like mayo. Throw a perogie on there, too, if you would, please.

     
  • At 5:17 PM , Blogger Grampa said...

    #1 - Beware booger encrusted zucchini. They're nasty.

    #2 - I beat the additcion by slowly consuming samll pieces of the cat. Lawry's steak sauce can make anything good. Sorry Hector, but it was either you or me.

    #3 - Aw, shucks. Thanks for the love.

    #4 - My tombstone will one day read "Dead by Redhead"

     

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