I love eating delicious food. And I love creating new recipes. But I don’t think I would consider myself a foodie: what I like about blogging and about making up recipes is the creativity involved. I don’t watch cooking shows, don’t read cookbooks in my spare time, don’t spend hours upon hours thinking about food, and…
I feel so mean for what I am about to admit, but I don’t enjoy spending the day feeling like I have to read every single food blog out there. I really don’t want anyone’s feelings to get hurt, and I don’t want anyone to feel like I’m ignoring him or her, so I feel compelled to try and visit as many blogs of people who leave comments on mine as I can. Lately, I’ve felt overwhelmed at the sheer number of blogs I feel the need to visit and comment on each day. I try to be fair;
I’m definitely not one of those people who only leaves comments on the popular blogs. I hate to open up this can of worms, but it makes me sad to see the little blogs ignored. Just because a certain blogger doesn’t get 50 comments per day does NOT mean her blog isn’t good and she doesn’t deserve comments. In fact, I try to comment more on these blogs than the popular blogs because each comment means more to the bloggers. I remember when I was first starting out and got only 5 comments per day. Those 5 comments might as well have been 500 for how happy they made me. Not that I don’t still get excited when someone leaves a comment on my blog: I really do!
Even the comments that just say simple things like “yum” or “cool idea” mean a lot to me. So I feel like a hypocrite if I don’t try my hardest to visit your blogs and try and repay that happiness. You all do such a good job of keeping up with my posts that it’s only fair I should do the same. And everyone has such interesting, well-thought-out posts that I really wish there were time to thoroughly read them all. I love you all, and your blogs are amazing: creative, funny, delightful… Each of you offers something special and unique to the blogging world. But feeling like I have to visit so many blogs as quickly as possible (so I can fit all the other things I want to do into my life), I find myself skimming over your cute stories, creative ideas, and other ways that your personalities shine.
Yes, I know I’m over-estimating my importance in peoples’ lives. Logically, I can see you all probably don’t spend even a minute feeling slighted over such dumb things as whether or not CCK commented more on your blog than someone else’s. But not-so-logically, I have a fault of being way too sensitive and worrying about hurting others. I will still try to comment every now and then. I am going to have to step back even further in the amount I comment, though. It does not mean that I love you guys any less!
Blogging should be fun. Lately, to me, parts of it have become a chore. I want to bring the fun back… And I promise not to abandon you. I’m still reading blogs, even if I don’t always comment!
Question of the Day:
Do any of you feel like this; like parts of blogging—be it trying to comment on tons of others’ sites or the pressures to blog about certain things or to not offend anyone—can sometimes get you down? I’m sure many of you do! Please know that I will NEVER hold it against you if you don’t have time to comment on my site. Yes, I’ll miss hearing your thoughts, your cute stories, and your kind words. But it won’t make me stop loving you.
I’ll definitely still be reading, Katie, and I appreciate your honesty and love of blogging itself. I think it works that way for most bloggers; they try to read and reply when they can, but for bloggers who get as many comments as you, I totally understand that you can’t visit and comment back on all of them. And that’s ok. 🙂
Katie, you really need to stop second-guessing yourself. I know it’s because you’re such a kind and sensitive person, but have a little faith in yourself and realise that no-one will hate you or stop reading just because you might not have commented to them in a while. Even if one or two people take offence, it would be so petty to do so that to be honest it would be their loss and not yours.
Heck, I find it hard to keep up with responding to 7-10 comments which is what I usually get, let alone 80+ which is what you seem to average out at! Perils of being so popular and gorgeous, eh 😉
You have a life to live and the world doesn’t revolve around blogging ~ we all understand that! And I for one eagerly await your ‘put yourself out there’ post because they’re always so well argued and the blog world needs more people like you willing to initiate healthy debate and discussion.
*hugs* and stop worrying so much!
~Jess~
Oh, don’t worry about not commenting all the time! I just started my blog, and I’m trying to make sure I have tons of time for real life stuff, cuz that’s really important. People, including myself, will still read about your adventures no matter what! Relax 🙂
Blogging is tough girl, no lie! I feel the same way sometimes…. I LOVE when people comment on my blog and I love getting to know people that way. Right now what I’m trying to do though is only comment when I know I have something to say – if I have to scroll back through the post to find something to say, then I figure there will be a different post I can comment on 🙂 I know I’ll still read!
Katie I am always amazed at how nice and genuine your blog posts are. If you stop commenting on other blogs that is 100% okay. I will always read your blog and always comment! Your blog is amazing and you are a super nice and genuine person. I love it when you check out my blog but honestly I would rather you just be happy and not stressing about reading and commenting on lots of blogs.
Have an amazing day! and THANK YOU SOO MUCH for featuring me!! it means so much, and I bet you can relate to when you were first starting out your blog. so thank you.
-mona
Those sex bomb babies look amazing!
I love your post about making comments. I love to see that people are reading my blog and the only way you know who they are is when they leave a comment. The only comments I usually get are from friends in real life who got me into blogging in the first place. When people I don’t know leave a comment it is such an amazing/wonderful feeling. I just started blogging about 7 months so I still consider myself knew to blogging. I am not to concerned about what people think if they don’t want to read then they don’t have to, but I do love it because it is a great way to track what is going on in your life. It is like a time capsule/yearbook of all the good and bad.
wow sweetie – thank you so much for this post.. I needed this more than you’ll ever know. Recently I’ve been LIVING LIFE while away at school and feeling guilty that I haven’t had enough time to comment as possible. That’s ridiculous! as you said — there are SO many amazing blogs out there but I think I would enjoy them a hell of a lot more if I didn’t feel this crazy pressure to comment on every single one and just was able to check them out leisurely. Ah, neeed to get that out. THANK YOU SWEETHEART! really, you just instilled me with so much peace of mind. Love you tons xoxo
I am not a blogger and I guess I enjoy reading certain blogs like yours; and I will continue to read. I love your experimental recipes and random stories not food related. I only read 5 blogs or so and it takes some time, so I can understand when you say you don’t want to read dozens (although I consider myself a foodie, but I have school and basketball/sports in my life too!)
katie-you’re too sweet!! i love reading your blog and all of your amazing recipes, and there’s no way i would ever stop if you were to no longer comment!!!!! blogging shouldn’t be a chore OR a popularity contest!! take time to do the things you love, keep writing your great posts and we will keep coming!!
Katie, I come here because I love your blog, I love your recipes, I love the fact that you are a young person living a healthy life and that your family supports your decision. I could only hope that my daughters grow up to be such a wonderful, thoughtful and healthy girls like you!
I know exactly what you are saying about commenting on blogs. I love blog reading and definitely read too many. But, life is life and we have to live it, not spend it on the computer all day! Feel free to never visit or comment on my blog! Get out there and live!!!!