To Follow or Not to Follow *AND* Why I Blog

So, I was over at another blog. I only follow six. And she had a post about "Followers". Now, for those not in bloggy land, one can "follow" another's blog. If you follow someone, anytime that person has posted, it will show up on one's blog-owner 'dashboard'-it's called. Some people have a follower's gadget that has little pics of their "Followers" and it has a link to click on where people can become a follower. Some people are quite popular with Followers garnering many quickly and others, like me, don't have so many. I don't have the Followers gadget up- which doesn't mean that people cannot 'follow' me. But, by not having it up as an invitation, I don't think people are as encouraged to try and "follow".

Back to the story, so I visited this other blog that I follow. She had a post about this very subject. In her post, she asks the following question regarding "Following":

How do you feel about followers and following?

Well, since she is someone I follow, I commenced on leaving my "thought" for her via her Comment's button. Let me just say, it was so wordy (and I spent enough time on it) that I thought I would use my response as a post. More importantly, it says why I blog.

Here it is:

What a good topic... something I've been pondering for some time now. I'm going to try to keep this short (ha, we'll see). This whole blogging thing. I do it as a way to ?? journal, if you will... to have a ?? keepsake for my daughter to go back and read (I've read that we can save our blogs to a disk if we wanted)... anyway, in the "olden" days, many 'journaled' about their trials and everyday whatnot. I want my daughter to, hopefully, 'hear' my voice someday. Hence, I blog.

ANYway.... blog "followers"??... to each his/her own. But for me, I would get too wrapped up in it. I know this... and I don't want that to take time away from my family and other things I should be doing... it's sad, but true... that's why I don't put that "follower" thing up .... I would get all wrapped up in it ... like a weakness... like chocolate. If chocolate is in the house and I want some, I will eat it. No chocolate in the house, oh well. If I had "followers" (I only have 2), but if I put that button thing up and got more or lost any (of my precious two), I will do just what you did- spend energy and time on it... and I worry enough about things that are not in my control, I certainly don't need more.

So, that's how it is for me. If I don't have them ('followers'), I don't have to experience the loss :-) -boy, is THAT sad or what!?!... BUT, also, I don't think I will feel as obligated to post. I've had talks already with myself about my priorities and focus and GET OFF THE COMPUTER.

**sighhh**
I have to say, getting "Comments" is addicting though... it's nice getting strokes. You know rats will starve themselves to death just to get strokes... seriously, I remember in Grad school, a study that looked at rats that had an electrode hooked to the pleasure center of their brain. They could push a lever and get a quick stimulation to that part of the brain. Well, those dad-gum rats died pressing that darn lever. Food and water were available- and they are pleasurable- but not as instant as a push of the lever. Sad.

Okay, so this rat's declining a sort of lever- because I would be too engrossed in it... I'm weak, weak, I say... where's the chocolate?!?