Slutstation
Blogging can be a thankless endeavour at times. You endlessly shoot out little nuggets of your life for comments and read about little nuggets of other peoples’ lives and comment on that, without so much as a resolution in sight. I myself have considered quitting approximately 67 times, and came very close to doing so twice. Thankfully, I am still here, and I can almost hear the collective sigh of relief at this point. (Or is a shriek of agony?)
When a resolution does come however it is usually when someone decides to stop blogging. Over the years, a number of blogs I have enjoyed reading have stopped, fizzled out or disappeared entirely. This is never good.
If I had to chose an ideal resolution I would say it would the person saying “I’m stopping” and then leaving all the archives up so I can go back late at night, after a little bit too much to drink and rummage through, sobbing quietly to myself. I still don’t like it though and will result to all the emotional blackmail I can conjure up in a attempt to get the person to continue.
I sometimes like to say that I would have “gone mad” if it weren’t for blogging. This is of course untrue, as I wouldn’t even have known about blogging if it didn’t exist and if I don’t get to blog for a while I don’t exactly get withdrawal symptoms and start biting my nails uncontrollably and snapping at people. I just discovered that the length of a blog post is about ideal for me. Anything longer and I get bored. Plus I get to link to other, interesting things and hopefully maintain interest.
But on some days I have nothing much to say and am in a foul mood and totally feel like jacking the whole thing in.
So if you must quit, I understand really, please ignore my whinings and do so. But I would be very grateful if you could send me a postcard every once in while letting me know what you’re up to.
Thanks.
(A note on the title, it is Swedish for “end of the line” and for obvious reasons, amuses me whenever I hear it. A helpful bit of advice, googling it produces some, ahem, interesting results)
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Less can be more.
But nothing is sad.
Sorry I came here looking for details of King’s Cross on a Saturday Night.
But I see even Quinquireme’s Dad has packed it in.
Not King’s Cross….blogging.
*SIGH*
I’m going to keep going until people beg me to stop.
You know that bit at the end of Hamlet where Horatio is about the only person whose name you remember who hasn’t died, and there’s blood and poisoned wine all over the shagpile and then the Norwegians come in and say (can’t remember the exact lines, but something like) “Fucking hell, that’s what happens when you put your party invites on Facebook!”
That’s what it’s like. Patroclus, Spin, First Nations, Slaminsky, Christopher…
Oh well, at least none of them got stabbed in the arras.
Geoff – That’s it exactly, people giving up entirely is bad, people posting only once in a blue moon, totally fine, especially if they’re good.
Rog – No, not another one. This is turning into a massacre.
MJ – That’s pretty much the sigh I had in mine.
RFM – Keep going! Never stop.
Tim – *looks around for Fortinbras*
Oh I definitely wouldn’t publish a post saying ‘THAT’S IT! I’M QUITTING! GOODBYE AND THANK YOU FOR BEING SUCH A LOYAL READERSHIP!” because it looks as if you’re trying to get loads of people to feel sorry for you and leave comments saying how much they miss you. Then you come back in a month’s time believing that everyone really *did* miss you, even though they were just being polite, and you look like a complete tit.
That’s my opinion, anyway.
of course, giving up can be a very liberating and life enhancing move – at least so I was told by a much loved (and missed) blogger once familiar to you and many of your readers Billster. Apparently, you get to do things like go out with friends and spend time with loved ones and so on…
Bladdy hell, it’s enough to keep you blogging, isn’t it??
;?
xxx
Mort
Betty – a very good point, and that is something, were I to give up, that I’d be keen to avoid. Maybe say you’re going on a break and not bothered returning?
Morton – Welcome! Giving up can be good, but when the urge strikes again, you’d better be ready. Or something.
If I give up blogging, the bad men will come and get me. “~
Yup, that sums it up nicely.
As you may have (or probably haven’t) noticed – I’m blogging about once every 3-4 weeks at the moment. I only realised this evening I have been composing away in my head for months but all sorts of real life events have been getting in the way – and now I’ve got the fear. I feel like I left the party and can’t get back in. Pathetic – I need to pull my bloggy socks up and spend less time hiding behind the comfy apron strings of twitter I reckon.
Nice post by the way and yes waaaahh Slaminsky gone – I am bereft. It’s like blog-flu – no like.
Quality not quantity. In days gone by I might do a very short blog post, now I do them on twitter.
Thanks, ducky.