A Letter to an Unkown Former Follower

Dear Google Friend Connect Who Recently Dropped Me,
I logged in this morning thinking about what post I might write, link-ups  I could join, and other changes I'd like to make in my blog when I glanced to the let hand side of my blog and noticed my GFC went down from 53 to 52.
Now this might make you uncomfortable that I'm writing specifically to you, but hey, look at the title, this is what I'm all about.
Actually, I'm surprisingly writing specifically to thank you.
Like many new bloggers, when I first started I got wrapped up in the numbers game. How can I get more followers? I commented like crazy on other people's blogs leaving a link to mine, joined social networking sites for blogs putting up every post, and motivated half of my posts to get new followers.

Don't worry, I've gotten over this obsession of how many followers and am finally making sure that I'm blogging for me. Hence, the redesign, the renaming, and not apologizing every time I drop this thing because I'm too busy.

Former follower, I may never know why you dropped me. Maybe it was the glitter. Maybe it was because I didn't post for a while this spring. Maybe I've offended you in one post or another. Maybe I'm boring. Maybe you don't like my hair color or sense of humor. Maybe you're angry I haven't posted a photo of Bruin dressed up and posing for a while. The reason, I may never know.

So why am I thanking you?

Well.

After I noticed that you had left, I got thinking about the blogs I follow and why I do and don't follow. And while I came to terms with writing in this blog for me a while ago, I realized I still wasn't READING the blogs that I wanted to.

When I looked at my reader in blogger this morning I realized it was out of control. Some blogs I had been reading because they were the ones that everyone else was. Some blogs I was reading because I thought that my blog should be like theirs. Some blogs I was reading because I'd seen that they started reading mine and decided to click the follow. There were blogs cluttering up my reader that I actually never actually read but kept there because I felt like I had to and blogs that I did like to read getting lost in the sea of the ones that I did not find interesting.

Consequently, this morning I went through all of the blogs on my reader and I clicked on all of them. Much to my surprise, there were like 5 that don't even work anymore. I read the first few posts of each of my blogs and if I decided that I never actually read that blog anyway it was off.
Now, I'm not saying they were "bad" reads or boring. Just blogs that I decided aren't quite for me anymore, or never actually were.

During this process I actually also got reaquanted with those "lost blogs" that I loved! Because I went through all of them I also found the ones that I actually enjoyed and took the time to catch up on what was going on in their life and the stories they had to tell. I also read some old posts that were favorites in the first place. I also actually found a few new blogs that I enjoyed and might follow in the future.

So, mysterious Google Friend Connect reader that has left and may no longer return, I may never know who you were or why you dropped me. But I am officially extending my thanks to you. Thank you for inspiring me to make sure I was only reading what I wanted to read, and not what I felt like I had to read because other people were. Maybe this post will influence others to do the same. My readers might even decide to drop mine, and that's okay. Why would I want someone reading my writing when they don't like it? That's like reading a paper just because you have to grade it. And no one likes that!

Until next time,
Me


With that said, I am looking for some new blogs to read as well as my oldie but goodies. Have any of you my fine readers found one that you really enjoy? Think I might enjoy yours? I like reading blogs with similar interests (teaching, photography, pets, shenanigans, awkwardness and sarcasm) but sometimes like reading other ones that aren't anything like mine but just so happen to strike my fancy. Maybe it's one you just found, have been reading for a while, or heck it might even be yours. Either way, leave some blogs for me to check out in the comment section. I'm looking for some good reads this summer when I'm taking breaks between my professional development books and memoirs of sassy comedians.

Also, have you ever done a "clean-out' of your  google friend reader? Have you ever had a hard time dropping blogs? Do you have a limit on the amount that you keep in your list, or do you just let it keep growing?

Stay cool today guys!